NFL: Browns Scoop Up Jake Delhomme

According to various sources, the Cleveland Browns have officially signed quarterback Jake Delhomme to a 2-year contract. The longtime Panther will presumably be given a chance to compete with Seneca Wallace for a starting job, while Brady Quinn will probably be on the move.

Mancini’s Take: Can Delhomme be considered an upgrade over Quinn? Not last year’s version that’s for certain. The Ragin’ Cajun was even worse than his 8:18 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2009 might indicate. Things got so bad that Carolina lost faith in the veteran, but what was even more damning was that Delhomme lost confidence in himself. When he’s on, the free wheeling gunslinger has a decent arm and the ability to hit his receivers in stride, allowing them to make yards after the catch. However, while the 35-year-old can still get hot during games, he can’t sustain it. You almost expect him to throw an errant pass

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NFL: Browns Scoop Up Jake Delhomme

According to various sources, the Cleveland Browns have officially signed quarterback Jake Delhomme to a 2-year contract. The longtime Panther will presumably be given a chance to compete with Seneca Wallace for a starting job, while Brady Quinn will probably be on the move.

Mancini’s Take: Can Delhomme be considered an upgrade over Quinn? Not last year’s version that’s for certain. The Ragin’ Cajun was even worse than his 8:18 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2009 might indicate. Things got so bad that Carolina lost faith in the veteran, but what was even more damning was that Delhomme lost confidence in himself. When he’s on, the free wheeling gunslinger has a decent arm and the ability to hit his receivers in stride, allowing them to make yards after the catch. However, while the 35-year-old can still get hot during games, he can’t sustain it. You almost expect him to throw an errant

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A Look Back At Merlin Olsen

NFL Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen, the greatest athlete in Utah State University history, died at City of Hope Hospital near Los Angeles early Thursday morning (March 11) after a courageous battle with cancer. <br
Olsen’s outstanding record on both college and NFL football fields was followed by successful careers as a beloved television actor and as a television sports commentator. He is remembered also as a tireless philanthropist, giving enormous amounts of time, talent and financial resources to numerous causes across the country.<br
“I can’t think of anyone who has graduated from Utah State University who has accomplished more in a broader array of fields than Merlin Olsen,” said Utah State University President Stan Albrecht.  “His distinctive and powerful voice will be remembered for the breadth of its influence and by the impact it has had in so many different facets of our lives.”<br

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Utah Sate Pro Day Conducted

LOGAN, Utah Eight former Utah State’s former football student-athletes worked out for National Football League (NFL) scouts on Thursday in USU’s annual “Pro Day,” as the scouts evaluated former Aggies’ draft eligible seniors for the upcoming NFL Draft.

Aggies participating in the event included cornerback Sidney Allen, safety James Brindley, wide receiver Xavier Bowman, linebacker Paul Igboeli, defensive lineman Antonio May, offensive lineman Brennan McFadden, tight end Jeremy Mitchell and placekicker Chris Ulinski.

Between the weight room and the Laub Indoor Practice Facility, players had their height and weight measured, then did performance tests including vertical jump, broad jump, bench press, shuttle run, L-drill run and the 40-yard dash.  

Highlights from Thursday’s action include Brindley’s 4.45 time in the 40-yard dash, as well as a 37-inch vertical jump, which Bowman topped by a half-inch for the top height.  Bowman also had the top broad jump

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Akili Smith and Ronnie Bradford Join Cal Staff

(BERKELEY) – Former NFL players Akili Smith and Ronnie Bradford have joined the Cal football staff as administrative assistants. Smith will serve in his role for the team’s offensive coaching staff, while Bradford will work with the coaches on the defensive side of the ball.

“We’re pleased to have both Akili and Ronnie join our support staff,” said head coach Jeff Tedford. “Both of these guys have been around football their entire lives and will be tremendous assets to our program.”

Smith, who has spent the past two seasons as the quarterbacks coach at Grossmont College in San Diego, was selected by Cincinnati as the third overall pick in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft and played four seasons with the Bengals (1999-2002). He attended training camp with the Packers (2003) and Buccaneers (2005) before finishing his professional football playing career with the Frankfurt Galaxy of NFL Europe

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Akili Smith and Ronnie Bradford Join Cal Staff

(BERKELEY) – Former NFL players Akili Smith and Ronnie Bradford have joined the Cal football staff as administrative assistants. Smith will serve in his role for the team’s offensive coaching staff, while Bradford will work with the coaches on the defensive side of the ball.

“We’re pleased to have both Akili and Ronnie join our support staff,” said head coach Jeff Tedford. “Both of these guys have been around football their entire lives and will be tremendous assets to our program.”

Smith, who has spent the past two seasons as the quarterbacks coach at Grossmont College in San Diego, was selected by Cincinnati as the third overall pick in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft and played four seasons with the Bengals (1999-2002). He attended training camp with the Packers (2003) and Buccaneers (2005) before finishing his professional football playing career with the Frankfurt Galaxy of NFL Europe

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Cal Announces Changes To 2010 Schedule

(BERKELEY) – California announced four date changes to the school’s 2010 football schedule on Wednesday, including a move of the 113th Big Game to Saturday, Nov. 20.

In addition to the Stanford contest, date changes for road games at Arizona and Washington State were approved by the Pacific-10 Conference athletic directors this week. The Golden Bears will visit Arizona on Sept. 25 and play at WSU Nov. 6.

Cal’s game at Nevada will also move to Friday, Sept. 17 to accommodate a 7 p.m. PT ESPN2 telecast.

The date of the Big Game was moved up two weeks to Nov. 20 to avoid a conflict with the beginning of final exam week at Stanford. The new date for the Stanford contest necessitated the changes for the Washington State and Arizona games.

“While the timing is not ideal it is important to support the academic needs of our fellow Pac-10 institutions,”

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ESPN2 To Air Blue-White Game Presented by AAA

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – One of the nation’s premier spring football events, Penn State’s Blue-White Game presented by AAA, will be televised live by ESPN2 on Saturday, April 24. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. ET in Beaver Stadium.

As in previous years, there will be no admission or parking fee for the Blue-White game, which culminates spring practice for the Nittany Lions. The Blue-White Game also will air on the Penn State Sports Network and www.GoPSUsports.com.

The Blue-White Game presented by AAA will be the first spring football game ESPN has televised among Big Ten Conference institutions. Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Oklahoma are among the schools that have hosted ESPN for their spring football game over the past five years, with LSU and North Carolina also joining the list this spring.

One of the highlights of the Penn State sports calendar, Blue-White Weekend presented

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Podcast: Draft Digest Weekly – OL/TE Edition

SUNDAY: MARCH 14 LIVE 10:00-11:00AM ET

Join The NFL Draft Bible for exclusive coverage of the 2010 NFL Draft.  This week we focus on the offensive line and tight ends.  How many offensive tackles go in the first round?  Who is the best interior lineman?  Where will Jermaine Gresham go?  Does Rob Gronkowski deserve a first round grade.  We answer those questions and more, including on location pro day reports from Ohio State, Rutgers, Purdue, Forham and Kent State from NFL Draft Bible correspondents.  Special guest Will Spencer of Draft Breakdown.  Hosted by Daniel Mogollon, Ralph Mancini & Justin Van Fulpen.

LISTEN HERE DOWNLOAD ARCHIVE

Photo Courtesy of Dennis Hubbard

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