Archive for the ‘NFL Irish’ Category

Take a look at Mel Kiper’s latest Big Board (link) and you will see five Notre Dame players in his top 15 prospects for next April’s draft. While it’s important to note that Kiper’s list only includes seniors right now and not any likely juniors who will be declaring for the draft, it’s still nice to see some Golden Domers rated this highly among this year’s senior class.

Kiper tends to rank Notre Dame players a bit higher than they actually get draft as last year both Maurice Stovall and Anthony Fasano were rated MUCH higher on Kiper’s rankings than where they actually were drafted, but take a look at Kiper’s comments on Quinn, Samardzija, Abiamiri, Zibby, and Harris.

1. Brady Quinn Sr. QB Notre Dame
Poised and at his best under pressure.

6. Jeff Samardzija Sr. WR Notre Dame
Great hands and speed for his size.

10. Victor Abiamiri Sr. DE Notre Dame
Stepped up as a big-time pass rusher for the Irish.

13. Tom Zbikowski Sr. S Notre Dame

15. Ryan Harris Sr. OT Notre Dame
Solid technique against quick pass rushers.

Even as a Notre Dame, I think Kiper has some of these Notre Dame players a bit over-rated.  I agree with Kiper having Quinn as the first overall prospect.  Quinn’s numbers are great this year and he is the prototypical pro-style quarterback so having him at the top of the list makes sense.

Samardzija at #6 is probably too high considering his numbers are down from a year ago.  The kid’s a beast once he gets the ball in his hands as we saw against UCLA, but he hasn’t shown the ability to get open downfield as he did a year ago and that is going to hurt his draft stock.  Remember how much Chad Johnson’s draft stock fell becasuse of his slow 40 times a few years back?  Same thing could happen to Samardzija unless he makes some big plays downfield over the final five games.

Abiamiri at #10 might actually be pretty accurate.  Abiamiri is turning in some really nice numbers despite facing a lot of double teams and not having a real pass rush threat lining up opposite of him.  He’s on pace to set career highs in sacks and tackles for loss and if he finishes strong down the stretch as he’s done in the past, he’ll be near the top of a lot of draft boards.

Zibby at #13 is really high.  He’s a hell of an athlete and as fierce a competitor as there is, but his coverage skills are going to do him in at the end of the day.  He hasn’t really shown too much improvement in the coverage department this year which will hurt his stock.

Ryan Harris is going to feel the effects of Notre Dame’s poor offensive line production this season.  Harris is a four year starter and while he’s probably a bit small by most NFL standards, he’s got great technique and is as polished a tackle as you’re going to get coming out of college.  Notre Dame’s struggles along the offensive line this season, however, could hurt Harris’s draft stock in a “guilt by association” kind of way.

About a year ago, rumors started circulating that NFL clubs were interested in enticing Charlie Weis to leave the sidelines in South Bend for the “greener” pastures of the NFL. A 10 year contract extension for Weis soon followed in an attempt to try and put an end to any such motions from NFL owners and eliminate the possibility of opposing coaches using the NFL against the Irish in recruiting. Well, here we are a year later, and there’s rumblings that some NFL owners are back at it.

From Adam Scheffer on NFL.com

“At least two owners contacted Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis in the past week to see if they could entice him to leave South Bend, Ind., for the richer confines of the NFL, Weis confirmed over the weekend.

Weis told each owner thanks, but no thanks. He’s very happy at Notre Dame.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Weis said.

About this time last year, Weis signed a 10-year contract extension with Notre Dame. But NFL owners were skeptical about whether he would remain at the school. At least two NFL owners were curious enough that, within the past week, while Notre Dame was on its bye, they contacted Weis. They thought the bye week would be the proper time to reach out to him. Plus, their actions were spurred on by the play of their own teams. Their teams clearly were not performing up to expectations.” (LINK)

What will it take for NFL owners to realize that Weis is happy where he is at? Maybe most NFL owners, who tend to be money grubbing ego maniacs, just can’t comprehend someone not being for sale and being happy coaching college kids at their alma mater. Maybe they think whatever team they own is more prestigious than coaching at Notre Dame. Who knows?

But seriously, if these stories keep popping up every year it’s going to get quite annoying. These owners are starting to look like that girl in Van Wilder who chases around Tara Reid’s boyfriend and just can’t take no for an answer.
The problem with stories like these is that they can create just the slightest bit of doubt in the mind of high school recruits. It’s impossible to predict what a 16 or 17 year high school recruit will think when an opposing coach tells him Weis won’t be there when he graduates because he’s leaving for the NFL.

Maybe Weis needs to have a press conference where he tells the NFL, “Look, I like you, but I’m not IN like with you,” and “I don’t like you like that.”

Or, NFL owners can just listen to the countless interviews Weis has given where he stops the questions regarding leaving for the NFL before they start and simply stop making overtures for his services.

Anthony Fasano has been taking some lumps in Cowboys camp this summer, but the former Golden Domer is still practicing.  Fasano will be the Cowboys backup tight end behind Jason Witten this year, but so far in camp he’s been taking a bit of a beating. 

“Rookie tight end Anthony Fasano is getting welcomed to the NFL. He keeps getting pounded by the Cowboys defense.

Fasano was busted by cornerback Terence Newman on Saturday morning after making a catch. Fasano got up slowly and limped away favoring his right leg but continued to practice.

Earlier in the week, safety Roy Williams unloaded on Fasano in the end zone, denying a would-be touchdown catch. That hit drew jeers from the offense for being too rough.” (Star Telegram)

For the second preseason game in a row, Maurice Stovall had an impressive performance.  Last week, Stovall caught a touchdown in the Bucs preseason opener and on Saturday nigth, Mo hauled in a 36 yard pass in the third quarter which drew some notice.

“STOVALL SOLID: Rookie receiver Maurice Stovall turned heads again with his 36-yard reception from Bruce Gradkowski in the third quarter, setting up a first down at the Dolphins 19.

The third-round pick caught a touchdown in the preseason opener against the Jets and has been impressive in practices, drawing the praise of his coaches and teammates. His emergence has changed the complexion of the receiving corps, where several players are battling for a handful of spots.” (St. Petersburg Times)

Stovall is making a strong case to move up the depth chart in Tampa and could see plenty of time this year as a rookie.

Maurice Stovall had a nice debut for the Bucs last night in their first preseason game. Mo caught 3 passes for 21 yards and hauled in a 2 yard touchdown, the only TD scored in the game. His stats were modest, but his blocking impressed his coach.

“Some of the blocks he made tonight, I realize it is a preseason game, but my God. He’s a very physical guy. He is a special competitor. The guy does not quit. He has a long way to go, I think, to make a real splash here. He understands that, but he’s learning, he’s working. He has a physical presence. We said that when we drafted him and when you look at this tape, you will see that on tape.” (Buccaneers.com)

Stovall was said to be disappointing a little early on in camp, but its good to see he is turning it around. Stovall has been putting in some extra time after every practice and it appears to be paying off.

“At 6-5, 220 pounds, rookie wide receiver and third-round pick Maurice Stovall is hard to miss. With that frame, he’s already –almost literally – head and shoulders above most of his teammates, but he’s working extra hard to ensure he’s just as conspicuous for his skills as a wide receiver in the National Football League.

So after most practices, Stovall remains on the field, lingering behind to catch extra passes and work on his route-running. Couple that with the fact that he participates in the last period of each practice (a special teams session of which many players are not a part), and Stovall is among the last of the Buccaneers to walk off the field.” (Buccaneers.com)

With his size, Stovall has a chance to be a play maker for the Bucs since they have no other wide receivers that can match his size.