Priced Out of the Citi – Page 199

Statement from MWC Commissioner Thompson

MWC Board of Directors Concludes Annual Meeting:

Jackson, Wyo. – The Mountain West Conference Board of Directors wrapped up two days of meetings today at the Wort Hotel. Among the various items of Conference business discussed by the Board was an in-depth review of Conference membership.

“Given the uncertainty in the intercollegiate landscape and the potential for significant shifts in the immediate future, the Board did not make a decision to expand at the present time,” said Commissioner Craig Thompson. “The MWC will continue to monitor developments and conduct its due diligence to prepare for potential scenarios. Our membership is pleased with the strength of the Mountain West and looks forward to continued growth and development.”

2011 NFL Draft Watch #25: Matt Reynolds

The countdown continues and our number twenty-five prospect in college football is…

Offensive Tackle Matt Reynolds, BYU (Junior):

The Skinny: This Cougar is a mountain of an offensive tackle, standing at 6’6” and approximately 330 pounds; it’s often difficult to make out the defensive lineman lining up against him due to the size of Reynolds’ shadow. The soon-to-be junior out of BYU combines impressive strength, size, attitude, athleticism and punch to maul opposing linemen. Reynolds’ punch might be his best attribute—it’s violent and jarring; when linemen come out of their stances Reynolds’ initial contact is so jarring it can knock them off balance, allowing the left tackle to easily control them. Reynolds also explodes off the snap, ready to do damage in an instant as

Scouting The Defensive Tackles: Class of 2012

Here’s a look at the top junior defensive tackle prospects entering the 2010 season:

1. Jurrell Casey, USC – As a true freshman, Casey earned a spot in the defensive line rotation as a backup nose tackle for a stacked Trojans’ defense. Last season the Long Beach native became the star of the front four. He made a serious impact as a penetrating force from his tackle position, trailing only Everson Griffen by a half a tackle for loss to top the D-line. Casey also has a nose for the football; he combined his cat-like quickness with Mack truck force to create two fumbles and recover three. Of his 13 starts as a sophomore, two came as a nose tackle, but his skill set is better suited to play as a one-gap tackle. Casey may be able to fill-in as a nose man or two-gap tackle in

Draft Watch: Mark Ingram Not Focused On Draft

Alabama running back Mark Ingram was asked by reporters at an award banquet if he plans on playing college ball after this season, and as expected Ingram stiff-armed the question. “My main focus right now is being the best player I can be for this team and helping this team win games and win another championship,” he told the Birmingham News. “Anything else is not necessary to talk about.”

The odds of Ingram leaving probably lean towards him declaring for the 2011 NFL Draft, as a consensus first round pick. However, he will have some competition for being the No. 1 overall running back selected should redshirt sophomore Ryan Williams of Virginia Tech also decide to opt for the draft. Look for both runners to be in the Heisman mix this year.

Follow us on Twitter @NFLDraftBible

Around The Web: Rookie Updates From The NFL

According to Lions beat writer Tom Kowalski, coach Jim Schwartz intends to give Jahvid Best a full workload as the team’s starting running back despite concerns about Best’s size and durability.

Baltimore Ravens WR David Reed was impressive during the team’s rookie minicamp last week, reports Aaron Wilson, of NationalFootballPost.com. Reed was able to easily get past cornerbacks, create separation to get open and catch passes in stride. Head coach John Harbaugh said, “I thought he caught everything today that I noticed. He made some radius catches, you know, low catches, high catches, behind-the-back-type stuff.”

Saints second-round pick Charles Brown says he is 100 percent recovered from his offseason hamstring injury.

An MRI confirmed that Ed Wang has suffered a high ankle sprain, a source tells Profootballtalk.com.

Raiders first-round MLB Rolando McClain said he has no plans to stage a training

Draft Watch: Ryan Mallett Continues Rehab

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino says quarterback Ryan Mallett (toe) has started “running straight ahead, and he’ll be throwing starting this week,” according to ESPN.

It was previously reported that Mallett’s rehab from toe surgery was on schedule but that he’s “not going to be able to go side-to-side until maybe July or August.”

This doesn’t seem to pose much of an issue, considering Mallet wears a pair of Drew Bledsoe concrete dancing shoes and isn’t one of these quarterbacks who is going to beat you with his feet.

In fact, here at the NFL Draft Bible we believe Mallett has the strongest arm of any quarterback in college football and looms as a darkhorse candidate to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Follow us on Twitter @NFLDraftBible

Draft Watch: Christian Ponder Under The Gun

Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder says his shoulder is completely healed and despite the recent preseason Heisman buzz, his sole focus is on winning football games, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

There are big expectations on Ponder entering his senior season and it’ll be interesting to see how he responds playing in the spotlight after a shoulder injury ended his season in November last year.

It’s hard to gauge his current draft stock due to the fact that it will largely depend upon how his shoulder checks out medically. He also needs to prove that he can last the entire season and put those durability concerns to rest.

That being said, we currently have Ponder with a third round grade but answering the questions above and a strong senior season could possibly elevate him a round or two.

Follow us on Twitter @NFLDraftBible

Draft Watch: Derrick Locke Breaks His Arm

Kentucky running back Derrick Locke (5’9, 190) broke his arm in a moped accident on Thursday but he will not need surgery “at this time,” according to The Courier-Journal. He will be in a splint for four weeks.

The Wildcats leading rusher last year with 907 yards. Locke is expected to be fully recovered in time for the start of the season and resume his role as the featured back.

Locke projects as a change-of-pace back at the next level and currently holds a mid-late round grade for the 2011 NFL Draft. He also probably assure himself that a provision will be written in his contract that states, ‘No moped riding.’

Follow us on Twitter @NFLDraftBible

Around The Web: NFL Camp Rookie Updates

St. Louis Rams QB Sam Bradford has not worked with the first-team offense this offseason because the coaches want to bring him along slowly, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Bill Coats. Currently, Bradford is splitting second- and third-team reps with Keith Null. A.J. Feeley is QBing the starting offense.

Cleveland Browns Second round draft pick, RB Montario Hardesty, is earning high praise from Coach Eric Mangini according to Scout.com. “For a young guy, he makes very few mistakes” Mangini said of Hardesty, who has been taking reps with the first team offense since May.

RB Joique Bell continues to see regular reps at the Bills’ offseason practices due to Marshawn Lynch’s absence, The Buffalo News reports.

New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan said OG Vladimir Ducasse has made progress during offseason workouts but is still making some rookie mistakes, reports Manish Mehta,

2010 NFL Yearbook: Baltimore Ravens

The offseason acquisitions of wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Donte’ Stallworth have added a renewed vigor to a Baltimore fan base that has been longing for more quick-strike ability out of their team’s aerial attack.

While the proud franchise has consistently produced winning seasons in seven out of the last 10 years, fans have grown accustomed to rooting for a squad that earns its victories with a punishing running game and a stifling defense.

But contrary to its reputation of being a close-to-the-vest team that wins a lot of close contests, the Ravens actually scored 30 or more points seven times in 2009. The problem is that they’ve accomplished that without getting big numbers from their quarterback Joe Flacco, who ranked 15th in passing yards despite starting all 16 regular season games.

The unflappable 25-year-old has been stoic almost to a fault in his first