Round 2, Pick 48 - Carolina Panthers - Jimmy Clausen

Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame

Ht: 6’ 2 5/8” Wt: 222

EMQB’s analysis on the pick:  Though I'm shocked that Clausen fell this far, this is the perfect place for Clausen.  The team is only one year removed from a division title and has an excellent running game.  He is the most pro ready quarterback of any in this draft.  

Pro Football Weekly’s scouting report: A tough, instinctive, competitive gamer who overhauled his mechanics from the time he was a freshman, physically matured and developed into a decisive marksman. Has been groomed by Charlie Weis and has an advanced understanding of the game that will allow him to step into a starting lineup readily. However, he is cut from a similar cloth as Rex Grossman and J.P. Losman, possessing an elitist attitude and selfishness that could polarize a locker room and create needless drama that may detract from a team. The defining question of his career is whether he possesses the intangibles and make-up to become a leader and win the respect of his teammates.

NFL projection: First-round pick.

GM Jr’s scouting report:  Clausen is a true 3 year junior who has decided to enter the 2010 NFL Draft early and while he likely could have helped himself a little by staying for another season, it makes sense for him to come out now as no one knows who the new ND coach will be and their offensive system may not be a pro style passing attack which would hinder his development.  He is a very smart quarterback who consistently reads the defense well, identifies where he has to go with the ball and makes good accurate throws on passes under 15 yards.  The issue for Clausen is going to be his lack of ideal size and a lack of a big time arm, which will hinder his ability to make all the NFL throws with good zip and accuracy.  Overall, there is little doubt that the more I evaluated Clausen the more his talent level, decision making and passing skills reminded me of current Saints’ QB Drew Brees when Brees played at Purdue.  I am a big believer that arm strength leads to many mistakes when drafting quarterbacks and that the success of an NFL quarterback is based more on what he has above the shoulders than his arm strength.  His experience playing in an NFL style offense at Notre Dame should enable Clausen to start early in his career and to become a very good starting QB in the NFL who exceeds in many areas, but until/unless he can improve his arm strength will always have trouble make strong and accurate throws deep down the field.

Lindy’s Sports scouting report:  Clausen’s experience in a pro-style offense, poise and fiery leadership most coaches like, although he’ll need to control those emotions to be successful early in his NFL career.  If able to do that, there’s no reason to believe he won’t be a long-time starter at the next level.

Pro Football Weekly 2010 Draft Preview available @ http://www.pfwstore.com/detail.aspx?ID=695

GM Jr. 2010 Draft Guide available @ http://gmjrnfldraft.com/

Lindy’s Sports 2010 Draft Guide available @http://www.lindyssports.com/product.php?cn=332

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Browns Equal Greens

The recent story has been about the Browns being interested in trading up to the number one overall pick and selecting Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford. As Flavor Flav once said, "Don't believe the hype."

This is a classic case of the Browns conjuring up interest in their number seven pick. If another team below the Bills first round pick (number nine overall) believes that the Browns want to select a quarterback (at that point Jimmy Clausen), the interested team will have to give the Browns a king's ransom to trade up to Cleveland's selection to grab the last blue chip quarterback.

My personal belief is the Browns would like to trade down from the seventh pick, and use some of their fire power (five picks in the first 92 selections) to possibly move back up and select a second player in the first round. The Browns could have the best draft of any team - if all the pieces fall into place.

As for Bradford, the possibility that any other player will be taken with the first overall pick is over. Thanks to the Browns "sharing" interest in Bradford to the media, quarterback's agent has even more leverage in the negotiations.

The Rams using Gerald McCoy and Ndamukong Suh as negotiation leverage would be disastrous. The media has hammered home the idea of St. Louis selecting Bradford for so long that perception would be that selecting one of the defensive tackles would be settling. Given the Rams quarterback situation that isn't a stretch. Expect Bradford's guaranteed money to be around $45 million.

The week before the draft is filled with misleading stories. I enjoy reading every single one of them.




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Playing The Character

The upcoming NFL Draft and last night's trade of Santonio Holmes both stir up the subject of "character issues".

The term seems to be a catch-all for everything from having an overinflated ego to assaulting your children and their mother (like Buffalo Bills wide receiver James Hardy was accused of in 2006).

While doubts are surrounding current draft prospects like Jimmy Clausen and Dez Bryant, they are having their decision making scrutinized "under the microscope."  Players like Santonio Holmes are being traded or cut for their off the field decision making.

While social media has been a huge hit in most of the world, some players have struggled with using it. Larry Johnson called his own head coach a "punk" and a "fag" via Twitter. Something tells me that if you felt like it was totally necessary to tell your coach how you felt about him, it might best be done in private. He was subsequently released. 

Santonio Holmes' issues with Twitter  have been well documented on this blog and others. The fact is that alienating fans, talking openly about drug use, and being accused on assaulting others is not the best way to gain leverage for the new contract you're playing for this upcoming season. Add the four game suspension for violating the NFL substance abuse policy and a possible additional suspension for violating the conduct policy, and it was easy to see why the Steelers would take a fifth round pick. At least he will have a cheap three year contract and doesn't have a one year suspension hanging over his head.

The Jets will have to decide if the benefits of signing Holmes to a long term contract outweigh the risks. His talent will demand a large guaranteed pay day.  His decision making shows he doesn't care about the consequences of his actions.

In this day and age of constant media, athletes can no longer afford to have an attitude that reflects invincibility. This expectation directly conflicts with attitude that we expect on the field or court. Unbridled confidence is a trait that is almost universal in all great athletes. If you don't think that you are better than your opponent then you never will be.

The same confidence that we admire in Brett Favre, we despised in Ryan Leaf. The line between an ego in check and an over inflated ego is a fine line.

Santonio Holmes is a example of that attitude bleeding over into his personal life. As fans we want players who know they are the best players in the world. We also want ones that are intelligent enough to know that this doesn't allow them to treat others as sub-human or meaningless.




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Stay Low to the Ground

Courtesy of www.espn.go.com

In a recent interview with a St. Louis sports radio talk show, ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer brought up the subject of Sam Bradford. "In my opinion," Dilfer said of Bradford, "he is not even close to the best player in this draft."

He also stated that the St. Louis Rams selecting Bradford - with the first overall pick on April 22nd - could be a "catastrophic mistake".

He also mentions that he "believes Colt McCoy will be the best of the four quarterbacks". Those quarterbacks include Bradford and McCoy along with Jimmy Clausen and Tim Tebow. While the majority of "draft experts" have Bradford and Clausen ranked far ahead of Tebow and McCoy, it is not uncommon to have widely varying opinions on quarterback prospects. 

While I don't have a problem with Dilfer and his ability to evaluate quarterbacks, I do have an issue with the P.S. at the end of the ESPN blog that I found this story in: "Note: As Lori indicates via Facebook and as Dilfer mentioned in the interview, he has worked out with McCoy. They share the same agent, David Dunn."

This is what makes any information from the football media void of any value this time of year. Though Dilfer might have honestly assessed McCoy as the best quarterback in the draft, the fact is McCoy and Dilfer share the same agent. Being human and knowning Colt McCoy personally, it would be natural for Dilfer to favor a kid he knows over other prospects he doesn't.

Worse yet, the Rams have shown interest in McCoy as a second round pick. If the Rams would pass on Bradford with the first overall pick and go with a position other than quarterback, then McCoy would most likely be available with the first pick in the second round (33rd overall). The sooner McCoy gets picked, the bigger his contract is, and the more money Trent Dilfer's agent David Dunn makes.

When that NFL Draft smoke gets in your eyes, it burns. Make sure to stay low to the ground.





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In Through The Out Door

 The "ripple effect" has already started in the Donovan McNabb trade aftermath. In just a few short hours, we know this:


      1. Donovan McNabb is out as the starting quarterback in Philadelphia, and Kevin Kolb is in.


      2. Donovan McNabb is in as the starting quarterback in Washington, and Jason Campbell is out.


      3. Washington is no longer interested in Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen with the number four overall pick in the NFL Draft later this month.


Now it is widely assumed that Kolb and McNabb will sign contract extensions to keep them put. 


What about Campbell and Clausen? Campbell is not a fan favorite in Washington. I'm probably one of the few people that actually think he is not as bad of a player as the majority make him out to be.

In a Washington Post interview with Michael Wilbon, McNabb said of Campbell, "I need to get in touch with Jason, I need to hear his thoughts on all this . . . You know I really like Jason."

Really? You want to know what Jason thinks? The fact is, it doesn't matter what he thinks. He knows he doesn't have a job in Washington anymore. Campbell would be a decent pick up for many NFL teams struggling to find QB help (Panthers, Raiders, Bills).


Clausen is the one in the most trouble. Washington was apparently considering him with the fourth overall pick, but that is an impossibility now. Washington was also interested in Sam Bradford which reinforces my prediction (along with most people's) that Sam Bradford is a lock to go to the Rams with the number one pick.


The question becomes: where does Clausen drop to? It hurts him, in my opinion, that Washington didn't view him as a potential franchise quarterback. It may have also been that Shanahan didn't want to endure the hardships and losses that come with starting an inexperienced quarterback (even though he didn't have a problem starting Brian Griese or Jay Cutler). 


Cleveland, at the seventh overall pick, has said they aren't interested (which could or could not be a bluff). Buffalo at the ninth pick has reportedly shown some interest. The problem for Clausen is the difference in guaranteed money between the fourth and ninth pick in last year's draft was about $16 million. Clausen has to hope that a team is willing to trade up and draft him because this move has created a bit of a financial free fall for him.


So if your following me: McNabb in, Campbell out, Kolb up, Clausen down, and Bradford a lock. And the draft hasn't even started yet. Next season is going to be awesome.



 


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Un-Golden Domer

After hearing all the positive news about Sam Bradford's workout, I thought, where has the positive press been for Jimmy Clausen?

Has nursing an injured foot and not participating in offseason scouting workouts hurt Jimmy Clausen's draft stock? 

Until he works out for pro scouts on April 9th, the discussion around Clausen will focus on his "attitude problems" and not on his ability to run an offense.

Where has all this negative press been coming from?  Some teams have been turned off by his NFL Combine interviews.  Being punched in the eye after the loss to UConn last season has raised questions, and some draft posturing by Mike Holmgren has led to a "reputation" for Clausen.


These are for the most part unfounded. NFL teams traditionally put out false reports, in hopes that the player - whose reputation they are damaging - falls to them in the draft. Real classy stuff, I know. Mike Holmgren is either hoping that Clausen falls to him or makes teams aware he is willing to trade down (for valuable draft picks of course) if Clausen falls to Cleveland's pick.

Getting allegedly blind-sided by an over-zealous fan while hanging out with your family and teammates is something that could happen to anybody.


The fact is that quarterbacks are confident by nature. Peyton Manning brought a list of questions to his draft interview with Bill Polian and, in turn, interviewed Polian. Joe Montana thought he was the best quarterback in the NFL before he ever stepped on an NFL field. Scared quarterbacks get hurt, sacked, and throw interceptions.


Only the NFL teams have the real story on Clausen. They know what is fiction, and what is reality. Hopefully, Clausen impresses on April 9th and is drafted appropriately.

 


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