Intelligence. Experience. Accuracy. Are those the ingredients a college quarterback must possess in order to become a successful pro?
The links: Palmer, Kolb rumors gain momentum
Sports Illustrated’s Peter King believes San Francisco, Arizona and Minnesota would be the most logical landing spots for Carson Palmer, assuming Cincinnati deals him. Palmer grew up in Southern California and his wife, Shaelynn, was raised in San Francisco.
The links: Different incentives for Harbaughs, Vernon
The thought has crossed my mind that plenty of NFL players might not be too broken up about missing minicamps if there is an extended lockout. Perhaps. But Niners tight end Vernon Davis, among others, has some serious incentive to get back on the field.
Had enough Blaine, Cam and Christian? Here’s Adam …
Today, in the spirit of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, we present Louisville quarterback Adam Froman, a No. 15 seed in the world of the NFL Draft.
Mizzou’s Gabbert to finally unveil arm at pro day
UPDATE (9:30 a.m.): According to tweets from sources on the ground, Jim Harbaugh is in attendance at Blaine Gabbert’s pro day.
The NFL schedule is coming
The NFL can’t guarantee there will be a 2011 season, but it is offering this assurance: It will soon release next season’s complete schedule of may-or-may-not-be-played games.
NFL’s lockout could affect rookies, from top to bottom
LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson could be one of the first players selected in the NFL Draft. Louisville quarterback Adam Froman could be one of the last. The disparate duo, however, does have this in common: They can already see how the lockout could alter their NFL dream.
Fangio emphasizes pass defense; zings Saban
Fangio didn’t come out and announce that he wanted Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller or LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson in the draft. But he did make it clear that stopping the opponent’s passing attack, through coverage or pressure, was crucial when he was asked to identify the most important position on defense.
A top tight end: A ratings bonanza for Alex (and others)
Alex Smith isn’t often mentioned in the same breath as Peyton Manning or Philip Rivers. But when it comes to throwing to his favorite target – tight end Vernon Davis – Smith is at least in the neighborhood of the NFL’s elite.
York addresses lockout letter to Niners fans
The NFL Players Association has decertified, have you received your lockout letter?
DeMaurice, Doty et al: From football to federal court
Welcome to the world of grievances, restraining orders, injunctions, appeals and the 8th Circuit. And you thought the franchise tag was confusing.
Alex + Vernon = 124.0
San Francisco quarterbacks had a whopping 113.8 rating in 2010 when they targeted Vernon Davis, who had a particularly good rapport with Alex Smith (124.0 rating).
The mighty Quinn? Maybe not, says one draftnik
Sporting News draft analyst Russ Lande, a former scout with the Rams and Browns, said Quinn lacks consistent aggressiveness, passion and intensity. He’s not completely down on Quinn (he never invoked the ghost of Gholston), but he’s giving him a late-first-round -to-early-second-round grade.
Like many NFL WRs, Crabtree could catch on later
Crabtree has played 27 NFL games and has more catches (103) than Detroit’s Calvin Johnson (101), Green Bay’s Greg Jennings (98) and Miami’s Brandon Marshall (85) did at the same stage in their careers.
Grab bag: Mallett sliding, Ponder rising, QB dealing?
It’s safe to assume that Mallett is not a first-round consideration for the 49ers, but he does have the distinct whiff of a quarterback who could slide into the second round due, in part, to the will-he-pass-his-next-drug-test drama.
Harbaugh’s grit reflected in his teams’ ground games
“We’d have (the first-team offense) versus the (first-team defense) and he’d get down there behind center and take a snap and he’d find an open receiver,” Harney said. “If nobody was open, he’d scramble and run for the first down. Everyone else was in full pads and he was in his coaching polo and shorts and he was diving for the first down. So that gives you a little bit of an idea about the guy.”
Singletary, Alex, Harbaugh and quarterbacks: A blog
Oliver Luck said that Harbaugh – perhaps Singletary’s equal in intensity – brought a much-needed “physical, lunch-pail, smack-you-in-the-face attitude” to once pillow-soft Stanford. But Harbaugh, the ex-quarterback, understood that he couldn’t have his quarterback frothing at the mouth.
Mayock on Blaine Gabbert: ‘He’s a top-one pick’
NFL Network’s Mike Mayock didn’t need to see Gabbert throw in Indianapolis. Based on the tape, he’s a huge fan. Mayock sees four quarterbacks with first-round ability: Gabbert, Auburn’s Cam Newton, Washington’s Jake Locker and Arkansas’ Ryan Mallet, but Gabbert is the only one he viewed as a top-10 pick coming out of the combine.
Thoughts on Roger Goodell as the lockout looms
Call me naïve or stupidly optimistic – you won’t be the first – but I left the hotel that day with this thought: Good-old, have-a-beer-on-the-Barcalounger Roger, a commissioner so clearly in tune with the populace and in love with the sport, would never let the league reach a labor impasse.
Scattered-armed Smith fails Harbaugh’s accuracy test
Troy Smith completed 45 percent of his passes in his final four starts and finished the season with a completion percentage of 50.3. Of the 43 NFL quarterbacks who threw at least 100 passes, Smith ranked 42nd in completion percentage (Arizona rookie John Skelton was 43rd).
