thundercleetz

Also, don't discount Damian Williams. He may have run a 4.53, but when you are as smooth as him in running routes you play a lot faster on the field than your timed speed. At 6'1" 197 pounds he put up 19 reps on the bench with a 38-inch vert. He would definitely be a good target for Joe in the over-the-middle intermediate passing game.

I agree with you, we need a big receiver. I do not see us taking Tate in the first round, it just does not match up with our personel. By the way, Tate body catches way too much for my liking. We need a guy with a larger catching radius who can work the middle of the field.

I agree. Give Mark Clayton 4.3 speed and I think he is a great receiver in this league. Benn runs a 4.48 at 6'1" 219 pounds and posts 20 reps on the bench press. I think he just solidified his status as a first rounder. Mike Williams runs a 4.49 at 6'2" 221 pounds, but only posts 8 reps on the bench? Heck, I can do that at 175 pounds! That is the lowest at the position!

Here are some interesting times: Carlton Mitchell, USF - 6'2" 196 pounds, 4.42 40, 16 reps on the bench Marcus Easley, Connecticut 6'3" 210 pounds, 4.39 40, 16 reps on the bench Riley Cooper ran a 4.52 at 6'3" 222 pounds.

That is exactly what Tate needed! This shows he has the speed needed to play his style of game in the NFL. I would not have a problem with taking him now.

Yeah, I do not think that Thomas falls to us in the second. Maybe we trade down from our pick and pick up an additional 2nd/3rd rounder? Okay, I am really starting to like Mike Williams. This guy is a freak! If you watch him play he plays very similar to Dez Bryant. Big, strong, and fast with great hands. He had 49 catches, 746 yards (15.2 avg), 6 TD in only 7 games last season and 60 catches, 837 yards (13.9 avg.), 10 TD in 12 games in 2007 (he was suspended in 2008 for academic reasons). So production is far from a problem for Williams, the guy can ball. Yes, the guy is a risk with his off the field problems, but he showed up at the combine in peak condition, so you know he is working hard. In my opinion, he is well worth the risk! He is quickly becoming my favorite and I would nab him in the second round in a hurry. Here is a highlight reel: And check this athleticism out! What he is doing here is insane! The guy he is dunking with (Donte' Green, who went to Towson HS I believe) is a 6'10 NBA player.

I agree with you on the Tate-Clayton comparison. ESPN compared Clayton coming out to a Steve Smith-Peter Warrick hybrid. Unfortunately, Clayton was more Warrick than Smtih. The YAC stuff that Clayton did in college just didn't work in the pros, and Clayton just doesn't have that extra step to get consistently deep in the pros. A big part of Steve Smith's game is his electrifying speed that allows him to get deep and take short passes the distance. Same with Reggie Bush, it is his speed that allows him to be a weapon. I believe that Clayton would be a great receiver if he was a half-step faster, he just does not have that extra gear required for someone with his style of play. As for Tate, his 40 time is going to be very influencial in where he is drafted. If he has 4.3 speed, he can certainly be a playmaker in this league. If he runs a 4.44 or above like Clayton, he is going to have a difficult time playing a Steve Smith-style of game, much like Warrick and Clayton before him. As for the other guys, reports today say we are interviewing Demaryius Thomas, Mardy Gilyard, Shay Hodge, and Mike Williams. All of these guys would provide solid options in the second round. Add Damian Williams and possibly Thomas to that mix and we will have a lot to choose from. BTW, check this guy out. Dorin Dickerson TE out of Pitt is only 6'1" 226 pounds, but he ran a 4.40 40 with 24 reps on the bench, 43-inch vert, and a 10.5 broadjump. The guy found the endzone a lot at Pitt, has soft hands, can get deep and tracks the ball well, and works the whole field. Yes, he might not be a true tight-end, but he would be a solid weapon for us on offense who we could use in an expanded Daniel Wilcox-type role. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9fZQpuoJ_Q

Man, they took it down!!! What happened?

GO U.S.A.!!!!! The game tomorrow against Canada is going to be difficult, even more difficult than our last matchup against the Canadians. The shifted around their lines and have a new guy in net. Nevertheless, our guys are playing solid defense and we are playing mistake free hockey, we will get opportunities. The power play will be key for us. I cannot wait!

I am starting to like Benn. I wonder what his 40 time will be.

Awesome win! Once again, a great effort in net by Miller. The defensive effort was exception by our boys, I think I heard 25+ blocked shots!? Guys were giving up their bodies out there. Rafalski, Suter, Orpik, and the young guys Jack and Erik Johnson all played solid defense. The powerplay effort needs some work, but I was glad to see the opponent's scoring opportunities decrease.

I completely agree. We are not looking good on our PP opportunities.

So far so good for our boys, we are getting plenty of scoring opportunities. You are right though, Hiller is very tough in goal. 0-0 after one period.

The US's best young player is probably Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks. He is only 21-years old and was the first overall pick in 2007 (FWI, it is pretty rare for an American to be the number one pick in the NHL draft). Kane is putting up very solid numbers on a first place team. He is definitely the golden child of US hockey. He is not a superstar like Ovechkin, Crosby, or Malkin, but he is quickly approaching that next tier below. As superstars, I think it might be about time to put Nik Backstrom in that argument with Crosby, Malkin, and Ovechkin, he has been having awesome year and is only 22-years old. Like Spen stated, we lucked out. I believe, we cannot play the powerhouses Sweden, Russia, or Canada until the Gold medal game. Sure, Czek Rep. and Finland will be tough games, but a lot more winnable than Sweden, Russia, or Canada.

You are not going to convince me, I am not going to convince you, we both make good points, agree to disagree?

You are right, I can go out there and run a slant or crossing route. What I am talking about it when your top two receivers are 5'10" and body catchers, Flacco is going to be hesistant to throw that ball over the middle as there is a very small window of opportunity for a completion. When you have a guy that is 6'2" and catches with his hands, there is a lot more room for error on these throws and the QB will be more comfortable. Are you really trying to compare the development of a pass rusher to a QB? You are kidding, right? Suggs notched 12 sacks his rookie year, Orakpo got 11 this past season and made the Pro Bowl, Matthews got 10.5 as a rookie and made the Pro Bowl. Ware got 8 his rookie year, Merriman got 10 his rookie year, and Dumervil got 8.5 his rookie year. Now, if you are talking about becoming an All-Pro defensive end in the form of a Mario Williams or Julius Peppers, you are right, that can take awhile. But you could say that about any position on the football field for an All-Pro. But we are not talking about that, we are talking about guys being able to get to the QB. That can be a very one-dimensional task if you draft specifically.

Figurs has also never had 70 receptions in a season, close to 1,000 yards or 8 TDs. Sure, those are Stallworth's career high numbers, but if he can get us anywhere near the 46 receptions for 697 yards and 3 TDs in 16 games like he did in 2007 for New England, that would be a wild success. Stallworth is by no means an answer, he is just part of the equation.

If you are talking about making an immediate impact, then your are right, the pass rusher might be the choice. What I am saying is for the well being of our franchise over the long-term Joe's development is most important. While a good QB will make his receivers look good, Joe does not throw certain routes because he does not have the receivers that can run them. That could easily turn into a habit for Joe down the road where he will be very reluctant to throw over the middle until he gets a receiver that can run those routes. Then we are stuck with a QB that will not be able to make his receivers better. A pass rusher on the other hand can be acquired at any time and simply inserted in the defense to make an instant impact.

You completely avoided my point. Getting a WR is more critical to the development of Joe Flacco than a pass rusher is to Foxworth, Carr, etc. We can always get a pass rusher, getting a WR now will propel Joe quicker into that next ecoholon of QBs. With QBs, time is critical before they max out and learn habits that they will never be able to overcome. We need to get Flacco a #1 now or he will never throw the ball over the middle.

I heard an interview with Gresham on Sirius NFL Radio. He is working out hard at API in Arizona. At the Combine he hopes to run in the early 4.6s, post over 20 reps on the bench press, and says he will check in at 6'6" 260+ pounds. He is very well spoken and said he tries to model his game around Tony Gonzalez. He sounds like a Ravens, while he says he loves to catch the ball, he really wants to emphasize his blocking skills and continue to get better in that area.

Yeah, that article did not change my opinion of him either. All it tells me is the guy is mentally troubled and might be liable to blow up at any time. Even with that said, I would gladly take Marshall on this team if the price is right. I still believe the pros outweigh the cons with Marshall.

I think you take the receiver based upon what that receiver would do for Joe Flacco now and in the long-term perspective of him becoming a better QB. Yes, getting a pass rusher would improve our corner play, but who are our corners? Fabian Washington, Dom Foxworth, and Chris Carr? These guys are limited by their potential, no matter how good the pass rush in front of them is. Flacco on the other hand has almost unlimited potential. Get him a number one receiver that he is comfortable throwing to and maybe he starts throwing the ball over the middle more, making adjustments at the line, or practices his deep ball more often. Over time, these are skills that Flacco could use to make other receivers (such as Clayton) become better than they actually are. So it would go from a number one receiver making Flacco a better QB, to Flacco becoming more confident and polished in his abilities by throwing to such a receiver that he is then able to use those talents with other lesser skilled receivers. We have seen these last few seasons that this is a QB's league. The better QB you have, the better chance you are at winning. The better we can get Flacco the quickest, the best chance we have at winning down the road. Getting a good pass rusher is simply a plug in, there is not much in terms of development or timing. Getting a great QB requires time, patience, and development. Adding a #1 WR would greatly boost this process. Get the receiver now, get the pass rusher next.

Why are you getting rid of such a good sound system?

Back to the topic of football, I hear that Stallworth still has his speed, he ran his 40 in the 4.3s. Which is pretty impressive for someone who took a year off and probably has not been able to train as much as he would like. Get him in workouts and I am sure that speed will come back in a hurry.