Chat transcript: Gosselin on NFL draft, more (2/22)
from dallasnews.com:
Chat transcript: Gosselin on NFL draft, more (2/22)03:12 PM CST on Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Dallas Morning News pro football beat writer Rick Gosselin answered questions about the NFL combine and more on Wednesday, Feb. 22.
Shades: The football season seemed anticlimactic after the Rose Bowl, which was much more exciting than the Super Bowl this year. Does this concern the pro football people, or are they smug about their perch atop the American sports hierarchy?
Rick Gosselin: You can't have a great Super Bowl every year. The string of playoff upsets by Pittsburgh certainly made for an intriguing January, though. The NFL knows how powerful a brand name it has -- the networks remind the team owners every time a TV contract is negotiated. And the NFL no longer has an offseason. Free agency has been a subject for national discussion these last two weeks -- what to do with Chad Pennington, Drew Brees, Edgerrin James... Will Brett Favre retire? What becomes of Ricky Williams? Baseball spring training hasn't pushed the NFL off the front page yet. And this week there are 300-plus accredited media for the NFL combine here at Indianapolis this week. If there was no interest in the NFL, I'm sure the league would be concerned. But interest remains high -- even when the NFL isn't playing games.
Jeff in Wooster, Ark.: As much as the offense needs help, not only along the line and receiver positions, I have been reading that Jerry Jones and Bill Parcells will likely be in the market for a safety. Your thoughts, and is this the right move for a team that struggles to separate from teams in the second half?
Rick Gosselin: Safety, offensive line, kicker, young legs at wide receiver. This team certainly does have needs. One of the most pressing needs is for a safety with coverage skills. Someone like Southern Cal's Darrell Bing, who had eight career interceptions and 18 passes broken up in his three seasons at Southern Cal. The Trojans also have a terrific history of safeties -- Dennis Thurman, Mark Carrier, Troy Polamalu. The Cowboys have a tackler in Roy Williams at safety. They need a ballhawk back there with him. The Cowboys have plenty of needs. They can't go wrong taking the best player on the board at the time they go on th clock at 18. If it's a safety, I'm OK with that.
Dave in Austin: Because of the glut of veteran starters soon to hit the free agent market, does that drive down the value of the top tier of QBs in this draft -- namely, Vanderbilt's Jay Cutler -- so that he drops into the middle of the first round?
Rick Gosselin: Every team looks for a young quarterback every year. It's just that some teams don't have the luxury of taking one. It's still early in the draft process. The standings of players will start firming up after this scouting combine in Indianapolis. The NFL gets the actual heights, weights and speeds of players. The draft is all about measurables, so those weigh heavily in this process. Cutler enters the draft season as the third quarterback. He'll be a first-rounder. Where will depend on his workouts and team needs. But at this early stage, I'd say he goes between 10-20. A team that signs a veteran quarterback like a Drew Brees is trying to win now. Drafting Jay Cutler or Vince Young or even Matt Leinart isn't about winning right now. Most teams would love to have a young talented quarterback in the queue like the Cincinnati Bengals groomed Carson Palmer. This draft process will be Cutler's friend.
T-Bone: Are college coaches having to revamp their programs to suit players who will only go to schools that they think will best prepare them for the NFL?
Rick Gosselin: That's always been the case. It's why a Texas, Notre Dame, Southern Cal, Miami, Florida State and Ohio State produces so many draft prospects each year. But all the best players can't go exclusively to those schools. That's why a Texas Tech, Minnesota, Utah and Oregon can compete as well. There's enough talent to go around. Find the dynamic quarterback and running back and you can compete for Super Bowls -- and national championships. Utah did it with Alex Smith.
Victor A.: Goose -- it is an honor to have a talent like yours writing for our local paper. I hope that my kissing up gets my questions answered. Where do you think the O-linemen from Texas go in the draft? And do you think Thomas (Texas TE) is a 1st-day or 2nd-day material?
Rick Gosselin: Again, it's still early in the process. The NFL has watched Jonathan Scott play on film. Now it wants to see how strong and fast he is. If he's stronger and faster than expected, he'll be a first rounder. If not, he'll be a second. I think David Thomas really helped himself in the Rose Bowl. I also think the tight end position is on the ascent in the NFL with the rule interpretation that forces defenses to keep their hands off receivers. That means linebackers can't touch tight ends -- and that's a big advantage for NFL passing games. Tight ends are becoming more and more prominent in NFL offenses. Look how much Heath Miller helped Ben Roethlisberger develop into a franchise quarterback at Pittsburgh in 2005. This is one of the better draft classes for tight ends I've seen. Vernon Davis of Maryland could be a Top 10 pick. There will be a bunch of them go in the first day. I expect Thomas to be a mid-rounder, a third or fourth round pick.
Kevin: It does not seem like the top prospects of the draft participate in the drills at the combine anymore. What do teams look for when scouting the combine? How much importance do teams put on the results of the combine versus their own scouting of game tapes and at the Senior Bowl?
Rick Gosselin: The NFL would like all prospects to work out at the combine so they can measure a DeAngelo Williams against a Reggie Bush against a Lawrence Maroney all uwith the same conditions. When they return to their college campuses, Bush may be running his 40-yard dash on a fast grass track outdoors in 80 degrees. Maroney may be running his indoors in Minneapolis. It's tough to compare the two times given the different sets of circumstances. But the NFL knows a handful of the best prospects aren't going to work out each year. That's a fact of life. The combine allows teams to sit down and meet with a prospect face to face, get a feel for his personality and his character. It's also used as a medical clearing house. All old injuries can be checked by NFL doctors. Those are the two major positives to come out of the Indianapolis experience. It's also another opportunity for players to impress NFL eyes. If a prospect runs a 4.50 at Indianapolis and a 4.44 on campus, the NFL will go with the faster time. If the NFL wants to see a fast player, they'll go with the fast time. If they want to see a slow player, they'll go with tghe slow time. If a team likes a player, they'll find ways to like him. If a team dislikes a player, they'll find ways to dislike him.
BeachLizard: After reading about Vince Young in the DMN this weekend it appears he didn't learn a thing from Ricky Williams and how he handled his contract. Why would someone with tens of millions (or more) of dollars at stake rely on amateurs to handle his business dealings?
Rick Gosselin: Vince Young knows and trusts his family and friends. He doesn't know a Tom Condon or a Leigh Steinberg or a Mike Sullivan. He obviously feels family and friends will take better care of him than someone he doesn't know. But I'm with you -- if I'm sitting on the top of a draft board with millions of dollars at stake, I want an experienced hand negotiating the contract. Look at Ricky -- you mess up that first contract it's hard to recover, no matter how good a player you are.
jimi1972: Outside of D'Brickashaw Ferguson of Virginia, who are the best offensive tackles in in the draft?
Rick Gosselin: Winston Justice of Southern Cal, Jonathan Scott of Texas, Jeremy Trueblood of Boston College, Ryan O'Callaghan of Cal...that group will get you into the second round. But, again, this is early in the process. There will be some blockers who rise and fall based on their measurables -- and the NFL starts gathering those measurables this week.
wk6823: Besides the draft, do you think the Cowboys should go after Daunte Culpepper in the free agency market?
Rick Gosselin: I think as long as Parcells is here Drew Bledsoe will be the Dallas quarterback. Parcells knows and trusts Bledsoe -- and trust is very important to this coach. Parcells knows if he can build a line that can protect Bledsoe, he can have an efficient and productive quarterback. I don't think the problem with the offense last season was quarterback. So I don't think Daunte Culpepper solves what ails the Cowboys. Culpepper could be too expensive an investment that doesn't provide a solution to the problem.
Aaron: I know a lot will depend on his measurables at the combine, but what round to you expect Tech's Taurean Henderson to be drafted, and don't you think he would be a perfect fit for Indy as a change-of-pace and do-everything type of back?
Rick Gosselin: Henderson really intrigues me because of the pass-catching skills. He's a Mewelde Moore without the kick return dimension. He'd be a great fit in an offense that lives by the pass like the Colts or old Greatest-Show-On-Turf Rams. If the Colts let Edgerrin James leave in free agency, which I expect them to do, I would look for them to draft a running back in the first round. That's too high for Henderson. They'll want a runner first, and Henderson's greatest strength is what he can do for your passing game. That said, the Colts could come right back around and draft Henderson in the third round...if he's there. In all the years I've been working drafts, I've never seen a back with such a grasp of the complexities of the passing game as Henderson.
Sports Link: Who do you think the Cowboys will be looking at in the draft and what positions?
Rick Gosselin: I expect the Cowboys to come away with a couple blockers, a safety, a wide receiver, more size at linebacker and maybe even another tight end because this is such great group of TE prospects -- and Parcells does like that position. You can find quality blockers and pass catchers in every round of every draft. So I wouldn't be surprised to see those two positions addressed in the second day. This also is as good a group of return specialists as I've seen in the last 10 drafts or so. Some double as wide receivers and some double as corners. I wouldn't be surprised to see Parcells draft one of those combo players as well.
Moderator - Ted Gangi: Rick is out of time today. Look for his column on the 10 best players NOT at the combine this weekend. UNT's Patrick Cobbs is among them. Thanks for taking part today!
Chat transcript: Gosselin on NFL draft, more (2/22)03:12 PM CST on Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Dallas Morning News pro football beat writer Rick Gosselin answered questions about the NFL combine and more on Wednesday, Feb. 22.
Shades: The football season seemed anticlimactic after the Rose Bowl, which was much more exciting than the Super Bowl this year. Does this concern the pro football people, or are they smug about their perch atop the American sports hierarchy?
Rick Gosselin: You can't have a great Super Bowl every year. The string of playoff upsets by Pittsburgh certainly made for an intriguing January, though. The NFL knows how powerful a brand name it has -- the networks remind the team owners every time a TV contract is negotiated. And the NFL no longer has an offseason. Free agency has been a subject for national discussion these last two weeks -- what to do with Chad Pennington, Drew Brees, Edgerrin James... Will Brett Favre retire? What becomes of Ricky Williams? Baseball spring training hasn't pushed the NFL off the front page yet. And this week there are 300-plus accredited media for the NFL combine here at Indianapolis this week. If there was no interest in the NFL, I'm sure the league would be concerned. But interest remains high -- even when the NFL isn't playing games.
Jeff in Wooster, Ark.: As much as the offense needs help, not only along the line and receiver positions, I have been reading that Jerry Jones and Bill Parcells will likely be in the market for a safety. Your thoughts, and is this the right move for a team that struggles to separate from teams in the second half?
Rick Gosselin: Safety, offensive line, kicker, young legs at wide receiver. This team certainly does have needs. One of the most pressing needs is for a safety with coverage skills. Someone like Southern Cal's Darrell Bing, who had eight career interceptions and 18 passes broken up in his three seasons at Southern Cal. The Trojans also have a terrific history of safeties -- Dennis Thurman, Mark Carrier, Troy Polamalu. The Cowboys have a tackler in Roy Williams at safety. They need a ballhawk back there with him. The Cowboys have plenty of needs. They can't go wrong taking the best player on the board at the time they go on th clock at 18. If it's a safety, I'm OK with that.
Dave in Austin: Because of the glut of veteran starters soon to hit the free agent market, does that drive down the value of the top tier of QBs in this draft -- namely, Vanderbilt's Jay Cutler -- so that he drops into the middle of the first round?
Rick Gosselin: Every team looks for a young quarterback every year. It's just that some teams don't have the luxury of taking one. It's still early in the draft process. The standings of players will start firming up after this scouting combine in Indianapolis. The NFL gets the actual heights, weights and speeds of players. The draft is all about measurables, so those weigh heavily in this process. Cutler enters the draft season as the third quarterback. He'll be a first-rounder. Where will depend on his workouts and team needs. But at this early stage, I'd say he goes between 10-20. A team that signs a veteran quarterback like a Drew Brees is trying to win now. Drafting Jay Cutler or Vince Young or even Matt Leinart isn't about winning right now. Most teams would love to have a young talented quarterback in the queue like the Cincinnati Bengals groomed Carson Palmer. This draft process will be Cutler's friend.
T-Bone: Are college coaches having to revamp their programs to suit players who will only go to schools that they think will best prepare them for the NFL?
Rick Gosselin: That's always been the case. It's why a Texas, Notre Dame, Southern Cal, Miami, Florida State and Ohio State produces so many draft prospects each year. But all the best players can't go exclusively to those schools. That's why a Texas Tech, Minnesota, Utah and Oregon can compete as well. There's enough talent to go around. Find the dynamic quarterback and running back and you can compete for Super Bowls -- and national championships. Utah did it with Alex Smith.
Victor A.: Goose -- it is an honor to have a talent like yours writing for our local paper. I hope that my kissing up gets my questions answered. Where do you think the O-linemen from Texas go in the draft? And do you think Thomas (Texas TE) is a 1st-day or 2nd-day material?
Rick Gosselin: Again, it's still early in the process. The NFL has watched Jonathan Scott play on film. Now it wants to see how strong and fast he is. If he's stronger and faster than expected, he'll be a first rounder. If not, he'll be a second. I think David Thomas really helped himself in the Rose Bowl. I also think the tight end position is on the ascent in the NFL with the rule interpretation that forces defenses to keep their hands off receivers. That means linebackers can't touch tight ends -- and that's a big advantage for NFL passing games. Tight ends are becoming more and more prominent in NFL offenses. Look how much Heath Miller helped Ben Roethlisberger develop into a franchise quarterback at Pittsburgh in 2005. This is one of the better draft classes for tight ends I've seen. Vernon Davis of Maryland could be a Top 10 pick. There will be a bunch of them go in the first day. I expect Thomas to be a mid-rounder, a third or fourth round pick.
Kevin: It does not seem like the top prospects of the draft participate in the drills at the combine anymore. What do teams look for when scouting the combine? How much importance do teams put on the results of the combine versus their own scouting of game tapes and at the Senior Bowl?
Rick Gosselin: The NFL would like all prospects to work out at the combine so they can measure a DeAngelo Williams against a Reggie Bush against a Lawrence Maroney all uwith the same conditions. When they return to their college campuses, Bush may be running his 40-yard dash on a fast grass track outdoors in 80 degrees. Maroney may be running his indoors in Minneapolis. It's tough to compare the two times given the different sets of circumstances. But the NFL knows a handful of the best prospects aren't going to work out each year. That's a fact of life. The combine allows teams to sit down and meet with a prospect face to face, get a feel for his personality and his character. It's also used as a medical clearing house. All old injuries can be checked by NFL doctors. Those are the two major positives to come out of the Indianapolis experience. It's also another opportunity for players to impress NFL eyes. If a prospect runs a 4.50 at Indianapolis and a 4.44 on campus, the NFL will go with the faster time. If the NFL wants to see a fast player, they'll go with the fast time. If they want to see a slow player, they'll go with tghe slow time. If a team likes a player, they'll find ways to like him. If a team dislikes a player, they'll find ways to dislike him.
BeachLizard: After reading about Vince Young in the DMN this weekend it appears he didn't learn a thing from Ricky Williams and how he handled his contract. Why would someone with tens of millions (or more) of dollars at stake rely on amateurs to handle his business dealings?
Rick Gosselin: Vince Young knows and trusts his family and friends. He doesn't know a Tom Condon or a Leigh Steinberg or a Mike Sullivan. He obviously feels family and friends will take better care of him than someone he doesn't know. But I'm with you -- if I'm sitting on the top of a draft board with millions of dollars at stake, I want an experienced hand negotiating the contract. Look at Ricky -- you mess up that first contract it's hard to recover, no matter how good a player you are.
jimi1972: Outside of D'Brickashaw Ferguson of Virginia, who are the best offensive tackles in in the draft?
Rick Gosselin: Winston Justice of Southern Cal, Jonathan Scott of Texas, Jeremy Trueblood of Boston College, Ryan O'Callaghan of Cal...that group will get you into the second round. But, again, this is early in the process. There will be some blockers who rise and fall based on their measurables -- and the NFL starts gathering those measurables this week.
wk6823: Besides the draft, do you think the Cowboys should go after Daunte Culpepper in the free agency market?
Rick Gosselin: I think as long as Parcells is here Drew Bledsoe will be the Dallas quarterback. Parcells knows and trusts Bledsoe -- and trust is very important to this coach. Parcells knows if he can build a line that can protect Bledsoe, he can have an efficient and productive quarterback. I don't think the problem with the offense last season was quarterback. So I don't think Daunte Culpepper solves what ails the Cowboys. Culpepper could be too expensive an investment that doesn't provide a solution to the problem.
Aaron: I know a lot will depend on his measurables at the combine, but what round to you expect Tech's Taurean Henderson to be drafted, and don't you think he would be a perfect fit for Indy as a change-of-pace and do-everything type of back?
Rick Gosselin: Henderson really intrigues me because of the pass-catching skills. He's a Mewelde Moore without the kick return dimension. He'd be a great fit in an offense that lives by the pass like the Colts or old Greatest-Show-On-Turf Rams. If the Colts let Edgerrin James leave in free agency, which I expect them to do, I would look for them to draft a running back in the first round. That's too high for Henderson. They'll want a runner first, and Henderson's greatest strength is what he can do for your passing game. That said, the Colts could come right back around and draft Henderson in the third round...if he's there. In all the years I've been working drafts, I've never seen a back with such a grasp of the complexities of the passing game as Henderson.
Sports Link: Who do you think the Cowboys will be looking at in the draft and what positions?
Rick Gosselin: I expect the Cowboys to come away with a couple blockers, a safety, a wide receiver, more size at linebacker and maybe even another tight end because this is such great group of TE prospects -- and Parcells does like that position. You can find quality blockers and pass catchers in every round of every draft. So I wouldn't be surprised to see those two positions addressed in the second day. This also is as good a group of return specialists as I've seen in the last 10 drafts or so. Some double as wide receivers and some double as corners. I wouldn't be surprised to see Parcells draft one of those combo players as well.
Moderator - Ted Gangi: Rick is out of time today. Look for his column on the 10 best players NOT at the combine this weekend. UNT's Patrick Cobbs is among them. Thanks for taking part today!
posted by The Gryphon at 6:52 PM
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