+36
After much debate and speculation, the former Aggie QB is headed to South Beach, with his former head coach Mike Sherman calling plays.
With the 182nd pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs has selected Cyrus Gray, a running back from the Texas A&M Aggies. With Gray being selected in the sixth round it goes against the pre-draft projections which saw Gray who was projected as a third or fourth round pick, so this could be a value pick for the Chiefs.
Gray is a versatile player for the Aggies who spent time at running back, slot receiver and returner. He has good speed, is tough to bring down and should find himself a role on whatever team is drafted by.
During his senior season at Texas A&M, Gray ranked third in the Big 12 rushing with 1,045 yards and 12 touchdowns in 11 games and split time with teammate Christine Michael.
For more on this draft pick go visit Arrowhead Pride and I am the 12th Man. 2012 NFL Draft, visit SBNation.com. For even more comprehensive coverage of the NFL Draft, visit Mocking The Draft.
A lot was made about Ryan Tannehill moving up on the draft board and going to the Miami Dolphins because it would reunite him with Mike Sherman, his former head coach at Texas A&M who supposedly would know how to use the rookie quarterback.
Now that all of this has come into fruition with the Dolphins taking Tannehill in the early first round on Friday, we've learned that maybe Sherman doesn't really know how to use Tannehill, or what realize what his strengths and weaknesses are. After all, this is the guy that stunted his wide receiver growth in the first place to go with Jerrod Johnson two season ago.
Tannehill believed it was a mistake then, and even to this day.
"I wouldn't say we were at odds," Tannehill said. "I definitely wanted to be playing the quarterback position. When he first sat me down and told me that he was going to move me out to receiver and I wasn't going to be the starter, I told him I thought he was making a mistake. I said I was the best quarterback he had on the roster."
Read more of our coverage on the draft at the StoryStream here and here.
Noted enthusiast of prominent young blonde women and some type of business reporter Darren Rovell of CNBC put the sudden pervy observations of the 2012 NFL Draft audience into hard figures, proving Draft night's not just about the lucky few athletes chosen to make millions - it's also about their arm candy (moms included, some of those gals are holding it down, honestly):
One of this year's most contentious NFL draft question marks has been resolved: Much-debated Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill is going to the Miami Dolphins with the 8th overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft. The one-time wide receiver was a statistical standout for an Aggie team that struggled to maintain leads late in the 2011 season, and were so drastically up-and-down that it cost head coach Mike Sherman his job.
Some draftniks called Tannehill a reach, especially as chatter increased that the native Texan might jump into the overall no. 3 slot after Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III went to Indianapolis and Washington. Tannehill missed the NFL Combine with a broken foot, but had a very impressive pro day on campus in College Station.
For more on the 2012 NFL Draft, check out the SB Nation Houston StoryStream and SB Nation's NFL page. For a complete list of 2012 NFL Draft results as they happen, visit SB Nation. For even more comprehensive coverage of the NFL Draft, visit Mocking The Draft.
Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandell minces no words dissecting the Draft day worth of Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill, focusing on the quarterback's inability to rally the Aggies from the frequent, gaping implosions they suffered in the second half last season:
The final mock draft of the 2012 NFL Draft season is up at SB Nation's main page, and the Miami Dolphins and Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill seem destined to figure this crazy little fling out after all. Despite weeks of wild rumors as to Tannehill's worth, the Miami front office's apparent mandate to draft him and his much-debated worth, SB Nation's final projection has Tannehill "falling" to his likely destination all along, the Fins at No. 8:
8. Miami Dolphins, Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
I'm just not sure anyone is going to move up for Tannehill, at least not into the first five picks. He makes sense for Miami who can let him learn the ropes for a year or so.
Mike Sherman's waiting at the airport for a big hug. Let's all make this happen.
For more on Ryan Tannehill and the NFL Draft, check out SB Nation's NFL page and Mocking The Draft.
Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill remains the biggest mystery in this Thursday's NFL Draft, with rumored interest as high almost every team picking in the top ten other than Indianpolis (No. 1) and Washington (No. 2) and rumored dis-interest flushing Tannehill to the end of the first or out of Thursday night altogether.
It's that time of the NFL Draft - front office gamesmanship the day before - and there's little in the way of certifiable facts as to who's really interested in drafting Tannehill, who's scaring other teams to trade up, and who's trying to drive the quarterback's stock down in hopes of grabbing him late.
Miami Herald reporter Armando Salguero is willing to shut down one rumor - that the interested Miami Dolphins would package a deal to move up to as high No. 3 to grab Tannehill. Salguero alleges that the Vikings (No. 3 overall) tried to foster a panic by creating the idea the Cleveland Browns (No. 4) were interested in Tannehill. Not so, and no matter, because according to Salguero, the Dolphins won't move up:
Believe nothing you're hearing except this:
The Dolphins love Ryan Tannehill for his potential but are aware he's a project. They are willing to take him at No. 8. They are not going to trade up to get him because they don't strongly believe anyone is going to get ahead of them to pick him.
Miami seems like a strong destination, but nothing's for certain. Tannehill is poised to become the surprise destination of the first round.
For more on the NFL Draft, check out SB Nation's NFL page and Mocking The Draft.
Former Wisconsin "pizza boy" J.J. Watt has a smart reminder for fans and media around the Texans organization and the entire NFL on this blessed NFL Draft Eve - 'tis better to shut your mouth than pen a collosal foot-in-mouth opus:
With the draft tomorrow, remember not to jump to conclusions before the guy ever steps foot on the field...houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/04-…
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) April 25, 2012
The NFL announced Monday that teams would be able to expand their rosters by 10 players to 90 beginning at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
NFL roster limit has been increased from 80 to 90 players, effective 4 pm ET tomorrow.
— Greg Aiello (@gregaiello) April 23, 2012
What does this mean for the Texans?
First off, it means more jobs for players. One reason contraction would be extremely difficult in sports leagues is that players unions wouldn't allow it. Simply speaking, there will be 320 more jobs available for players, and that's not a bad thing.
For teams, this is an opportunity to create more depth. Every year, you hear about players who go undrafted getting a chance and making the most of it. Does Arian Foster ring a bell? This increases those chances. Depth doesn't just have an effect during games, either. Many of those undrafted players are the last additions to the roster, and this creates more depth in practices and on scout teams.
Read more about the Texans at the Battle Red Blog and for more on the NFL Draft, go visit Mocking the Draft.
Former Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill has received a lot of buzz and potentially could be a top-10 pick in next weeks NFL Draft. However, due to the new collective bargaining agreement the NFL and NFLPA agreed to prior to the 2011 season might have teams thinking hard about taking Tannehill inside the top 10.
It all comes down to money and when a player is taken in the top 10 the fifth year of their rookie contract salary skyrockets:
Under the new CBA, a team may sign its first-round pick to a four-year contract with an option for a fifth year. The salary for the fifth year is based on a formula that hinges on whether the player is picked in the top 10 or the next 22.
For the top 10, the salary is determined by calculating the average of the 10 highest-paid players at the pick's position in the prior season. For the next 22, the number is determined by calculating the average salary of the third-highest paid player at the position through the 25th highest paid player at the position in the prior season.
So, if a team takes Tannehill in the top 10 it seems that a five-year contract is likely and it also means that the team that drafts him would be paying him a lot of money regardless of how well he has performed on the field. The difference between the top 10 average contracts at the quarterback position is going to be a much larger salary cap hit compared to the average salary between the No. 3 and No. 25 quarterback position.
With Tannehill being a converted wide receiver and just over one year of starting experience, this latest news could be what drops him out of the top 10.
For all news and information regarding the Texas A&M Aggies, please visit I am the 12th Man. For lots more on the 2012 NFL Draft, head on over to Mocking the Draft.
With exactly a week until the 2012 NFL Draft, the annual storm of stupid has broken the horizon. Indescribable "character concerns," bunk expert analysis and - SHOCK - "leaked" Wonderlic scores will all be flooding the news cycle for the next seven days:
Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill reportedly scored a 34 on the Wonderlic. Average QB score is regarded to be 24: is.gd/3tmpI7
— Evan Silva (@evansilva) April 19, 2012
This is "news" because, according to RotoWorld, a 34 is exceptionally high for a quarterback:
While all pre-draft speculation has to be taken with two or three grains of salt, it's appearing increasingly likely that Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill won't make it past his former college coach Mike Sherman, now the offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins, in the NFL Draft.
In the latest mock draft from the National Football Post, the Dolphins scooped up Tannehill when he slipped past the Cleveland Browns at No. 4:
8. Miami Dolphins: Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill
The Dolphins have received pretty average quarterback play over the past couple seasons and adding a talent like Tannehill who has the skill set to mature into a franchise QB could be too good to pass up at eight.
Miami has needed a QB for several years; the question is whether they would be willing to bring Tannehill along slowly or throw him to the wolves in his first season.
For all news and information regarding the Texas A&M Aggies, please visit I am the 12th Man. For lots more on the 2012 NFL Draft, head on over to Mocking the Draft.
The 2012 NFL Draft is just over a week away and teams are really beginning to buckle down and focus their game plan and recruiting strategies. So too are the analysts and columnists beginning to refine their mock draft selections. Former Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Ryan Tannehill figures to be the No. 3 quarterback in this year's draft, drawing interest from many teams.
Peter King of SI.com has written a new mock draft column, where he breaks down which players should be selected by the first-round NFL teams, contrasting those anticipated selections with the players that each team should target. In King's estimation, the Miami Dolphins will be selecting Tannehill as the No. 8 overall pick ... and he feels that's the correct call for the Dolphins.
If you're going to trust the coach you hired (Joe Philbin) to energize the offense and the coordinator you hired (Mike Sherman, who coached Tannehill in college) to tutor the quarterback, you've got to pick the triggerman they want. But you can't panic by moving up to take Tannehill, because that would most likely cost at least a second-rounder. Not worth it.
With the No. 3 through No. 7 teams seemingly targeting different positions in the first round, Tannehill falling at No. 8 to the Dolphins is not out of the question.
For all news and information regarding the Texas A&M Aggies, please visit I am the 12th Man. For lots more on the 2012 NFL Draft, head on over to Mocking the Draft.
Projecting Ryan Tannehill's destination in the 2012 NFL Draft has become increasingly tricky, as trade talk among Top 10 teams (Indianapolis and Washington excluded, naturally) begins to heat up. SB Nation's latest mock draft has Tannehill ending up in Cleveland and not reuniting with former Texas A&M boss Mike Sherman in Miami:
4. Cleveland Browns, Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
Whether the Browns draft Tannehill or not, there are more and more signs that this pick is for sale. If Mike Holmgren is willing to accept less than what Washington paid for the second pick, the Browns could move down and possibly target Brandon Weeden or Kirk Cousins.
Potential trade partners include Miami and Kansas City. Miami make sense because of the Mike Sherman connection. Matt Moore and David Garrard can carry the load while Tannehill learns the ins and outs of the pro game. Kansas City has a good enough roster that they could afford to trade up for Matt Cassel's successor.
So there it is - probably Cleveland, but Kansas City's just as likely to make a move, and let's not forget Miami, or Tannehill's entirely overrated and set to drop out of the first round entirely. Glad that's all cleared up.
Follow the Draft Day exploits of Ryan Tannehill at SB Nation's NFL page, Texas A&M blog I Am The 12th Man and Mocking The Draft.
The draft stock for former Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill has skyrocketed over the past few weeks and in some places he has been projected as a top-10 pick or higher. The rise is due to Tannehill's physical skill set and his performance in his workouts.
However, ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr. is not falling for the hype and feels that Tannehill is overrated as a top-10 selection:
I love Tannehill's upside, and I think he has a great shot to be a good starter, but the market on him has gotten a little out of hand in some respects. Remember, if Matt Barkley, Landry Jones and perhaps Tyler Wilson were in this draft, we're talking about a likelier bet for late-first or second round for Tannehill. Again, he can be a good one, but a lot of it is projecting, because while his physical abilities are so impressive there is much work to be done.
Kiper's rational makes sense because this year's quarterback crop has only two elite quarterbacks in Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, but with quarterback always a need for teams picking early those teams may reach in trying to find their next franchise quarterback.
For more on the Aggies, head to I Am The 12th Man and for all the draft updates you can handle, head to SB Nation's NFL mock draft site, Mocking The Draft.
According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, the NFL has extended invitations to players to attend the 2012 NFL Draft in New York City's Radio City Music Hall. According to Florio, 26 players will be attending the draft, which is one more than last year, and one of those 26 is former Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
They are, in alphabetical order: Alabama safety Mark Barron; Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon; LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers; LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne; North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples; Mississippi State defensive tackle Fletcher Cox; Stanford tight end Coby Fleener; Notre Dame receiver Michael Floyd; South Carolina cornerback Stephon Gilmore; Georgia tackle Cordy Glenn; Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III; Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower; Georgia Tech receiver Stephen Hill; South Carolina defensive end Melvin Ingram; USC tackle Matt Kalil; Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick; Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck; Boise State linebacker Shea McClellin; USC defensive end Nick Perry; Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe; LSU receiver Rueben Randle; Alabama running back Trent Richardson; Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still; Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill; Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw; Baylor receiver Kendall Wright.
Tannehill is one of the more intriguing prospects in this year's draft class. He is considered a first-round talent, but is projected anywhere from the third overall pick to late first round. There are plenty of quarterback-needy teams outside of the Colts and Redskins, like the Browns, Dolphins and a few others. If they get more desperate for a future quarterback, they could look to trade up and grab Tannehill at No. 3. He could also fall to a quarterback-needy team later in the first round. We'll have to wait and see.
For more on the Aggies, head to I Am The 12th Man, and for more on the draft, head to Mocking The Draft.
Former Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill is one of this draft class' more interesting prospects. He's considered this draft class' third-best quarterback prospect behind Stanford's Andrew Luck and Baylor's Robert Griffin III. Luck and RG3 are going to be the top two picks off the board and it's completely unclear as to where Tannehill will end up. Some analysts believe that he'll be a late first-round pick while others think that he could be taken at No. 3 overall by a team willing to give up some picks to move up to the Minnesota Vikings spot.
SB Nation recently released a series of videos profiling some of the more prolific draft prospects on YouTube and Tannehill was one of them. Here's his profile. Enjoy.
For more on the Aggies, head to I Am The 12th Man and for all the draft updates you can handle, head to SB Nation's NFL mock draft site, Mocking The Draft.
Former Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Ryan Tannehill seems poised to be selected within the top ten picks of the 2012 NFL Draft. Playing in a pro-style offense under former NFL head coach Mike Sherman has helped Tannehill hone his craft after switching from wide receiver to quarterback just a few years prior.
However, there are some that see Tannehill's game as flawed and his inexperience at the quarterback position as an issue. Dan Pompei of National Football Post discussed with college scouts about Tannehill's prospects moving forward:
Quarterback—Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M. He is a bit green as a passer and there is a lot he has not seen. On the plus side, he has played in a pro style offense. On the negative side, he has been inconsistent in it. Brock Osweiler of Arizona State also is a contender here. He left school early and was a starter for only one season, so he isn’t an experienced passer. What’s more, he played in a simple offense and was mostly in the shotgun.
In the latest SI.com mock draft Tannehill is slated to go No. 8 to the Miami Dolphins. The draft is less than two weeks away.
For all news and information regarding the Texas A&M Aggies, please visit I Am the 12th Man. For lots more on the 2012 NFL Draft, head on over to Mocking the Draft.
In the latest mock draft from SI.com, Don Banks has the Cleveland Browns passing on Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill at No. 4, allowing him to drop to the Miami Dolphins at No. 8:
8
QB Ryan Tannehill Texas A&M Sr. 6-4 222
The Dolphins finally get their future starting quarterback, and it'll be offensive coordinator Mike Sherman's job to determine when it's time to transition from the Matt Moore/David Garrard tandem to the athletic and accurate former Aggie.
It will be extremely interesting to see what the Dolphins do if Tannehill is on the clock. While he has skyrocketed up draft boards in the last few months due to the paucity of top QB's available, there are still a lot of questions about how he finished his final season at Texas A&M and his overall game experience.
There's no one in a better position to answer those questions than Mike Sherman, his former head coach and current Miami offensive coordinator.
Sherman has watched Tannehill intimately for four seasons and there's no one in a better position to evaluate his NFL potential.
According to NFLDraftScout.com's Dane Brugler, former Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill has scheduled private workouts with the Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles.
@dpbrugler
Dane BruglerTannehill said he has private workouts set up in college station with #Eagles #Chiefs and #Browns
4 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
While Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III have dominated the quarterback conversations for the upcoming draft, Tannehill has been steadily climbing draft boards, and according to some analysts, he's a top-10 pick. Of the three teams he has scheduled private workouts with, the Browns seem to be the most quarterback-needy team. The Chiefs have Matt Cassel, and while they don't seem satisfied with him at the starting position, they are likely more committed to him than the Browns are to Colt McCoy. The least likely team seems to be the Eagles, who are committed to Michael Vick.
It will be interesting to see how far Tannehill can climb up the draft boards in the next few weeks heading into the 2012 NFL draft.
For more on the Texas A&M Aggies, head to I am the 12th Man, and for more on Tannehill's draft stock, follow SB Nation Houston's StoryStream.
NFL teams were apparently extremely impressed with Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill's Pro Day on Thursday, as he may have entrenched his position as the No. 3 QB in the 2012 Draft:
RT @fmr5998: 4.58 for Ryan Tannehill at Pro Day. ... So I've heard. A lock as a Top 10 pick. Might be even higher.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 29, 2012
With Indianapolis Colts and the Washington Redskins seemingly locked in with the top two picks, Schefter's report suggests that several QB-hungry teams in the Top 10 may be trying to make a move on Tannehill.
The two most likely candidates are the Cleveland Browns and the Miami Dolphins, both of whom had high-ranking representatives in College Station on Thursday.
However, given the scarcity of QB's in the modern NFL, it's entirely possible a team like the Seattle Seahawks could try to swoop into the Top 10 for a shot at Tannehill as well.
With Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III almost assured of being taken with the first two picks in the 2012 draft, much of the intrigue surrounding the QB position has become focused on Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill.
After injuring his foot before the Senior Bowl, Tannehill was unable to participate at the NFL Combine, making his Pro Day at Texas A&M a must watch for most of the league.
Twenty one NFL teams were present to watch him on Thursday in College Station, most notably the Miami Dolphins (who sent GM Jeff Ireland and coach Joe Philbin), Cleveland Browns (who sent offensive coordinator Brad Childress) and Seattle Seahawks (who sent coach Pete Carroll).
Tannehill showcased the speed that made him an excellent WR at the start of his A&M career, running the 40-yard dash somewhere between 4.59 and 4.62 seconds. His arm was nothing to sneeze at either, as he completed 65 of 68 passes with two of his incompletions coming on dropped balls.
Although Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III are getting the lion's share of the discussion in the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft, former Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Ryan Tannehill has quietly established himself as one of the top quarterbacks in this year's talent pool. NFL teams without the benefit of the top two picks in the draft are showing interest in Tannehill and at least one team will be meeting with the player prior to the draft.
Mary Kay Cabot of ESPN reports that the Cleveland Browns are interested in Tannehill and will be bringing the quarterback in for a pre-draft visit. The league states that Tannehill will be one of 30 pre-draft visits to the Browns. Could Cleveland be a potential destination for the QB? It appears as though it is at least a possibility.
For all news and information regarding the Texas A&M Aggies, please visit I Am the 12th Man. For lots more on the 2012 NFL Draft, head on over to Mocking the Draft.
I admire the dedication here, trying to predict all seven rounds-worth of Houston's picks. No, it's not just because he went with the guy I talked up earlier this week in Whitney Mercilus...
Leave it to the people who actually follow the Texans to take a defensive player here. To be fair to the NFP mock I talked about earlier, Mercilus went in the top 15 there, so he couldn't have been by the Texans.
Still, tabbing a WR in the first round for Houston right now is just lazy. Now, for the rest of Houston's haul here:
2nd round: Marvin Jones, WR, Cal
3rd round: Josh Chapman, NT, Alabama
4th round: David Molk, C/G, Michigan; J.K Schaffer, ILB, Cincinnati
5th round: Brandon Mosley, OT, Auburn
6th round: Brett Roy, DE, Nevada
7th round: Randy Bullock, K, Texas A&M
With that, Houston addresses all its needs pretty neatly. Those nose tackles people plug in to Houston's spot in the first round? Taken in the third. That receiver we talked about? A better value guy who fits the West Coast system in the second. Oh, and a kicker in the seventh to replace Neil Rackers.
Depth is the name of the game here, and Houston adds a ton of it at needed positions (after free agency defections). Can't really argue with any of these choices, actually.
For more on the Houston Texans, check out Battle Red Blog.
What is it with these mock drafters and making Houston select a wide receiver? The National Football Post has another mock draft up and they've got the Texans taking the incredibly raw wideout Stephen Hill:
Hill is going to need to become a more consistent route runner. However, at 6-5 he showcases some natural short-area quickness to his game and knows how to go up and get the football vertically. He’s one of the draft's elite size/speed combos at the receiver spot and his stock is on the rise.
Because if it's one thing you look for in a West Coast-style offense, it's a receiver who can't really run routes that well...Hill does have the size and reputation to be a great blocker for Kubiak and Company, and his stock really does seem to be on the rise. I'm just very skeptical that it'll rise to Houston's spot.
That's especially true since both Donta Hightower and Luke Kuechly lasted until this pick in this mock. With the trade of DeMeco Ryans, is there a chance Houston doesn't go defense in the first round? I'd love Kuechly to fall this far, since he'd make an excellent counterpart for Brian Cushing on the inside, but I fear it won't happen.
Again, going back to the National Football Post for a look at third day running back prospects. If Houston decides to deal Ben Tate before the draft, they could certainly look at adding one of these guys:
4. Davin Meggett: Maryland (5-9, 215)
A shorter, thick back with a strong lower half, runs low and has the quickness/acceleration to pick his way through tight areas and explode toward daylight. Lacks a great feel, will slow his feet and not look real natural at times picking his way through traffic. However, when he sees a lane he can be dynamic and get up the field quickly
Not just any back can fit into Houston's one-cut style. But, the guys who can be most successful have some of what is described here. Dynamic in seeing a lane, explosive towards daylight. Wouldn't necessarily be a great fit unless he's more decisive on making those cuts, but could be a good value guy.
2. Michael Smith: Utah State (5-9, 205)
He's a powerfully built kid who runs low to the ground, displays good short areas quickness and has a burst when asked to get up the field. He looks explosive pressing space and accelerating toward daylight, could be a nice late round value.
Again, low running style, good quickness to make those cuts and explosive once he makes a decision. His size isn't ideal, but that's also why he'd be available late in the draft.
For more NFL draft news, check out SB Nation's latest Mock Draft. For up-to-date Houston Texans news, check out Battle Red Blog.
In the latest SB Nation mock draft, the Texans again take a wide receiver. Color me surprised....
What I found interesting is that one of the better pass rushers in the draft was still on the board when Houston picked in Illinois' Whitney Mercilus. Just look at this article from the National Football Post breaking down him and USC linebacker/end Nick Perry.
3-4 teams will like him because he has the athleticism to play on his feet and drop into coverage. In a way he reminds some of Jason Pierre-Paul from two years ago. Pierre-Paul was raw and only played 1 year of major college football, but he was the most instinctive pass rusher I had seen in years. Mercilus has some of those same traits.
The luxury good teams have is to take a player who won't necessarily start right away. Houston could grab a more raw prospect like Mercilus and put him in a rotation with Brooks Reed opposite Connor Barwin. That means Mercilus could grow up in the system, learn more about, you know, being a football player and blossom into a big-time star for Houston.
As the comparison above says, Mercilus could be on a path just like Jason Pierre-Paul. He could also end up like a ton of pass rushers who were raw and never worked out. If you remember, Mario Williams was also considered raw as a pass rusher before he was selected too.
Of the two guys listed in the article above, I'd rather the Texans go after Nick Perry, but Mercilus is an intriguing option.
Former Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Ryan Tannehill has been shooting up the draft boards and with NFL teams afraid of passing up on a franchise quarterback it could benefit Tannehill. Tannehill was thought to be a late first round pick, but with the recent trade between the Washington Redskins and St. Louis Rams where the Redskins are expected to take Baylor's Robert Griffin III, it is making other teams nervous about not getting a potentially great quarterback.
The Miami Dolphins are interested in drafting Tannehill at No. 8 and it makes sense since his former head coach Mike Sherman is now the offensive coordinator with the Dolphins. However, Peter King of Sports Illustrated believes that to get Tannehill the Dolphins may have to move up from No. 8:
Miami may not get OC Mike Sherman's college QB, Tannehill, staying at 8. How incredible that you might have to trade into top 4 to get him.
— Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) March 15, 2012
I said "may'' about Tannehill, because you never know what Cleveland's going to do at 4, and don't know exactly how they feel about Colt.
— Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) March 15, 2012
If not at No. 4, Tannehill could be had at No. 7 via a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to the Florida Times-Union's Tania Ganugli:
Tania Ganugli, Jaguars general manager Gene Smith would gladly entertain offers for their seventh-overall selection. "I know there's a lot of interest in Tannehill," he said.
For more on the NFL Draft go check out Mocking The Draft.
Take this for what you will, considering the source is the oft-criticized John McClain, but I found a really interesting small note in this article on Houston's "worst-case scenario.":
The Texans are expected to use a first- or second-round draft choice on another outside linebacker.
Wait a tick, you mean all those mock drafts that had them going for a wide receiver could be wrong? Who on earth would have thought the Texans would go for a defender?? Oh, anyone who pays attention to Houston and their draft tendencies, that's who.
It doesn't guarantee that Houston will take a guy like USC's Nick Perry in the first round, but if one of the top hybrid guys falls? That's a definite possibility. They could also target someone in the second round, much like they did with Connor Barwin and Brooks Reed.
Either way, I'd bet that Houston doesn't end up with a receiver in that first round.
For more NFL draft news, check out SB Nation's latest Mock Draft. For up-to-date Houston Texans news, check out Battle Red Blog.
With the decisions of USC's Matt Barkley and OU's Landry Jones to return to school, there is a huge drop-off at the QB position in the NFL Draft behind Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III.
Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill, despite missing the Senior Bowl and most of the pre-draft workouts due to a broken foot, is looking like the biggest beneficiary right now, as he sneaks into the first round at No. 22 to the Cleveland Browns in the latest mock draft from SB Nation:
22. Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta), Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
Colt McCoy has a bright future as an NFL backup quarterback. The Browns could be active in free agency or on the trade market looking for a veteran to replace McCoy. They might find a solid interim option to start ahead of Tannehill who has the kind of upside the Browns need in a quarterback.
With the St. Louis Rams likely auctioning off the No. 2 pick, and the rights to select the loser of the Luck/Griffin competition, several NFL teams in the top 10 with needs at the QB position could be looking at Tannehill intently over the next few months.
Saturday's Senior Bowl will be the final tune up for three Texas A&M Aggies (Tony Jerod-Eddie, Jeff Fuller, Randy Bullock), three Texas Longhorns (Emmanuel Acho, Kheeston Randall, Keenan Robinson) and one Houston Cougar (Patrick Edwards) before they head off to the ultimate sports career fair that is the 2012 NFL Draft. The six players will play for the South Team when the game kicks off at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.
For complete rosters check out the official Senior Bowl website.
Game date/time: Saturday, January 28, 2012, 4:00 p.m. ET
Location: Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama
TV: NFL Network
For more on the Senior Bowl and complete draft coverage, check out SB Nation's 2012 NFL Draft page and Mocking the Draft.
The 2012 Senior Bowl is just a day away but players from major universities all across the nation have been practicing in front of NFL coaches and scouts for the past week in Mobile, Alabama. The senior bowl is a great chance for college players to showcase their abilities to scouts and improve their draft stock. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work that way though. Sometimes, a player's draft stock falls and the Senior Bowl becomes something that hurts a player more than it helps.
That could be the case for Texas A&M's wide receiver Jeff Fuller, who, according to the National Football Post's Wes Bunting, hurt his draft stock over the last week of practice.
For a bigger receiver who doesn’t run well, Fuller needs to do a better job catching the football. At his size and with his body control he’s always open five feet above his head, but poor hands dogged him all week.
The 6-foot-4, 217-pound wide receiver is listed as ESPN's 17th best receiver in this year's draft class but that could change if scouts and coaches have the same thoughts that Bunting does about his Senior Bowl performance.
For more updates on the Aggies, head over to I Am The 12th Man, and for draft updates, check out Mocking The Draft.
Despite missing the Senior Bowl due to a broken foot suffered in pre-draft training, Texas A&M senior QB Ryan Tannehill is shooting up draft boards.
According to Sports Illustrated's Peter King, Gil Brandt, the long-time NFL personnel director of the Dallas Cowboys who moonlights as a draft expert for NFL.com, thinks Tannehill will be a top 10 pick.
Tannehill, a strong-armed 6'4 225 QB who began his career in College Station as a WR, has all the physical tools NFL scouts look for in a QB.
But after a strong junior season in replace of Jerrod Johnson, the Big Spring product struggled down the stretch as a senior as the Aggies stumbled to an incredibly disappointing 7-6 finish that cost Mike Sherman his job.
However, Tannehill still had impressive statistics, albeit mainly against Big 12 defenses trying to play "bend don't break" against the conference's high-powered spread offenses. Last year, he completed 67.5% of his passes for 3,744 yards, 29 TD's and 15 INT's.
With Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III locked in as top five picks and multiple NFL teams desperate for QB help, Tannehill will be one of the most scrutinized prospects in the Draft over the next four months as he battles to be the No. 3 QB on team's draft boards.
The state of Texas will be well-represented in the 2012 Senior Bowl, one of the most important events for NFL prospects in the pre-draft season.
Four Texas A&M Aggies, RB Cyrus Gray, WR Jeff Fuller, DL Tony Jerod-Eddie and K Randy Bullock, as well as Houston Cougars WR Patrick Edwards, were named to the South team this week.
QB Ryan Tannehill was supposed to participate, but he was ruled out after breaking his foot while training for the NFL Combine.
The Texas Longhorns, A&M's biggest rival on the recruiting trail in the state, will only be sending three players this year, while Baylor, in a sign of how their national profile has risen this year, is sending two players, even though top prospects QB Robert Griffin III and WR Kendall Wright will not be participating.
After a disappointing 7-6 season, Fuller is the only one of the four Aggies rated in the Top 100 in Mocking The Draft's Big Board.
An extremely impressive 6'4 220 athlete, he underachieved as a senior, catching only 70 balls for 828 yards and 6 TD's. The Senior Bowl practices, where he'll be matched up with some of the top CB's in the country, will be a great chance for him to try to boost his draft stock back into the first round.
Gray, Jerod-Edie, Bullock and Edwards are all being talked about as third-day prospects, although their draft stock has the potential to swing rapidly in the next four months, and the Senior Bowl is their first opportunity to impress NFL decision makers since their college careers ended.
For free and comprehensive coverage of the NFL Draft, head over to Mocking The Draft.
Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill will miss the Senior Bowl with what has been reported as a broken foot that he suffered training for the 2012 NFL Draft.
The Senior Bowl, which will be held in Mobile, Alabama on Jan. 28, is one of the biggest events of the pre-draft season, with the nation's top prospects battling it out in week-long practices watched by scouts and decision-makers for all 32 NFL franchises.
SBNation's Mocking The Draft called Tannehill's withdrawal "a monumental blow" to his draft stock, as they had him rated as the No. 3 QB in the draft behind Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III.
The 6'4 222 senior took over the Texas A&M QB position midway through last season after beginning his career as a WR.
He showcased a strong arm and excellent athleticism as a senior, completing 61.6% of his passes for 3,744 yards, 29 TD's and 15 INT's while rushing for 306 yards and 4 TD's on 5.3 yards per carry.
However, his inability to pull the Aggies out of their late-season skid will be questioned by many teams, especially after a lackluster performance against arch-rival Texas in his last game at Kyle Field.
The injury will prevent him from trying to answer some of those questions at the Senior Bowl, although it is still unclear whether he'll be healthy enough to throw at the NFL combine or in other pre-draft workouts closer to April.
OpenCalais - Powered by Thomson Reuters
•
Odds Shark 
Images by eflon used in background images under a Creative Commons license. Thank you.
2012 NFL Draft: Rice DE Scott Solomon Goes To Titans
The Tennessee Titans selected Rice defensive end Scott Solomon on Saturday in the seventh round of the 2012 NFL Draft, using the 211th overall pick to bring in the San Antonio native.
Solomon (6-foot-3, 260 pounds) is rated as an average athlete, but all the scouting services say that he gets the most out of his ability, or, in scouting terms, he "has a great motor." Solomon missed the 2010 season with a foot injury, but came back to earn first-team All-Conference USA honors from Rivals and second-team recognition from the league's coaches. He had 24 career sacks at Rice, including 8.5 in 2011, and had over 200 career tackles.
For more on the 2012 NFL Draft, check out the SB Nation Houston StoryStream and SB Nation's NFL page. For a complete list of 2012 NFL Draft results as they happen, visit SB Nation. For even more comprehensive coverage of the NFL Draft, visit Mocking The Draft.
Apr 28 4:46p by Josh Brokaw