Post by MizzouTiger on Feb 23, 2008 16:43:17 GMT -5
sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=fromdelawaretofirstround&prov=tsn&type=lgns
From Delaware to first round? Flacco hype is real
By Clifton Brown - SportingNews
INDIANAPOLIS—Quarterback Joe Flacco already has generated a buzz. Now, he needs to back it up.
At 6-6, 236 pounds, Flacco’s size reminds people of Ben Roethlisberger, and Flacco’s arm reminds people of a cannon. This year’s draft is hardly the deepest ever at quarterback, and with opinions divided on Brian Brohm, Chad Henne and Andre’ Woodson, Flacco’s stock has gone up, way up.
That makes Flacco’s performance at the NFL Scouting Combine crucial. A year ago, the University of Delaware product was just hoping to be invited to this NFL beauty pageant. But with an impressive workout Sunday in front of the league’s personnel gurus, Flacco has a realistic chance to be drafted in the second round, if not sooner.
“There are some people who think Flacco could be the best quarterback in the entire draft, down the road,” says draft analyst Mike Mayock of the NFL Network. “I think he’s a first-round reach, only because he’s not going to play for two or three years, in my opinion. But I think he’s a solid second-round pick.”
Matt Ryan of Boston College has emerged as the frontrunner to be the first quarterback drafted, and he acts like he knows it. Ryan will run at the Combine but will not throw until his on-campus workout in March.
Flacco can’t afford that luxury. Coming from a Division I-AA program like Delaware, Flacco must prove he can compete with the big boys. He will show off his arm this weekend and hope to stand out from the crowd.
“I never thought about not working out,” said Flacco, standing confidently Friday afternoon surrounded by reporters. “I’m looking forward to it. I know what my game is. I don’t care what anybody says. They can put all the pressure on me they want. Bring it at me.”
If that sounds a little thingyy, so be it. Don’t you want your quarterback to have a little swagger?
Personally, I like Flacco’s confidence. And I like his sense of humor. He has the humility to poke fun at the recent hype, saying “I’m a little bit surprised. If I wasn’t myself, I’d probably be sick of myself.
“No, it hasn’t helped my confidence. All I have to do is go home and get made fun of by all my friends and family. They tell me how dorky I look on TV.”
When it comes to football ability, however, Flacco is serious. He had a terrific senior season at Delaware, completing 331-of-521 passes with 23 touchdown passes and just five interceptions. He led the Blue Hens to the Division I-AA championship game.
But Flacco, who transferred to Delaware from Pittsburgh, must fight the Division I-AA stigma. If Flacco had the same numbers playing in the Big Ten or SEC, he certainly would be a first-round pick. Instead, NFL scouts wonder about the level of competition he faced.
“You have to find out if the guys on that level can compete against guys who are his equal, or better, every day,” said Green Bay Packers GM Ted Thompson. “In college, he may have been head and shoulders above everyone else, or maybe better than anyone they played against.”
Mike Martz, the San Francisco 49ers’ offensive coordinator and noted quarterback teacher, is eager to see Flacco perform in person.
“He can really help himself here,” said Martz. “People have film but they didn’t see him much on TV, so it’s hard to get a feel for him. Everyone’s heard so much about him. He’ll garner a lot of attention at his workouts. The value for him here is large.”
Asked what one thing he wanted to disprove this weekend, Flacco said, “That I can’t move. I think I’m a pretty good athlete, and I can run pretty well. In the 40-yard dash, I hope I can get in the 4.6s.”
The Atlanta Falcons won Friday’s coin flip for the No. 3 overall pick in the first round, followed by the Oakland Raiders at No. 4 and Kansas City Chiefs at No. 5. At least four of the teams picking in the top eight need a quarterback—Miami Dolphins at No. 1, Falcons, Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens at No. 8.
Ryan probably is the only quarterback worthy of being drafted high, but if Flacco impresses enough people, a quarterback-needy team could make a trade to nab Flacco late in the first round, the way the Cleveland Browns traded with the Dallas Cowboys last April to take Notre Dame’s Brady Quinn at No. 22. Clearly, Flacco has put himself into the quarterback mix. And this weekend, he hopes to make a bigger stir.
“There are a lot of different reasons guys play at the smaller level schools, but I think I deserve to be here,” said Flacco. “If you can play, you can play.
“Was I thinking about being a first-round draft pick at this time last year? No. I wasn’t thinking about being a draft pick period. So anywhere I’m picked, I’m going to be happy.”
Senior writer Clifton Brown covers the NFL for Sporting News. E-mail him at cliftonbrown@sportingnews.com.
From Delaware to first round? Flacco hype is real
By Clifton Brown - SportingNews
INDIANAPOLIS—Quarterback Joe Flacco already has generated a buzz. Now, he needs to back it up.
At 6-6, 236 pounds, Flacco’s size reminds people of Ben Roethlisberger, and Flacco’s arm reminds people of a cannon. This year’s draft is hardly the deepest ever at quarterback, and with opinions divided on Brian Brohm, Chad Henne and Andre’ Woodson, Flacco’s stock has gone up, way up.
That makes Flacco’s performance at the NFL Scouting Combine crucial. A year ago, the University of Delaware product was just hoping to be invited to this NFL beauty pageant. But with an impressive workout Sunday in front of the league’s personnel gurus, Flacco has a realistic chance to be drafted in the second round, if not sooner.
“There are some people who think Flacco could be the best quarterback in the entire draft, down the road,” says draft analyst Mike Mayock of the NFL Network. “I think he’s a first-round reach, only because he’s not going to play for two or three years, in my opinion. But I think he’s a solid second-round pick.”
Matt Ryan of Boston College has emerged as the frontrunner to be the first quarterback drafted, and he acts like he knows it. Ryan will run at the Combine but will not throw until his on-campus workout in March.
Flacco can’t afford that luxury. Coming from a Division I-AA program like Delaware, Flacco must prove he can compete with the big boys. He will show off his arm this weekend and hope to stand out from the crowd.
“I never thought about not working out,” said Flacco, standing confidently Friday afternoon surrounded by reporters. “I’m looking forward to it. I know what my game is. I don’t care what anybody says. They can put all the pressure on me they want. Bring it at me.”
If that sounds a little thingyy, so be it. Don’t you want your quarterback to have a little swagger?
Personally, I like Flacco’s confidence. And I like his sense of humor. He has the humility to poke fun at the recent hype, saying “I’m a little bit surprised. If I wasn’t myself, I’d probably be sick of myself.
“No, it hasn’t helped my confidence. All I have to do is go home and get made fun of by all my friends and family. They tell me how dorky I look on TV.”
When it comes to football ability, however, Flacco is serious. He had a terrific senior season at Delaware, completing 331-of-521 passes with 23 touchdown passes and just five interceptions. He led the Blue Hens to the Division I-AA championship game.
But Flacco, who transferred to Delaware from Pittsburgh, must fight the Division I-AA stigma. If Flacco had the same numbers playing in the Big Ten or SEC, he certainly would be a first-round pick. Instead, NFL scouts wonder about the level of competition he faced.
“You have to find out if the guys on that level can compete against guys who are his equal, or better, every day,” said Green Bay Packers GM Ted Thompson. “In college, he may have been head and shoulders above everyone else, or maybe better than anyone they played against.”
Mike Martz, the San Francisco 49ers’ offensive coordinator and noted quarterback teacher, is eager to see Flacco perform in person.
“He can really help himself here,” said Martz. “People have film but they didn’t see him much on TV, so it’s hard to get a feel for him. Everyone’s heard so much about him. He’ll garner a lot of attention at his workouts. The value for him here is large.”
Asked what one thing he wanted to disprove this weekend, Flacco said, “That I can’t move. I think I’m a pretty good athlete, and I can run pretty well. In the 40-yard dash, I hope I can get in the 4.6s.”
The Atlanta Falcons won Friday’s coin flip for the No. 3 overall pick in the first round, followed by the Oakland Raiders at No. 4 and Kansas City Chiefs at No. 5. At least four of the teams picking in the top eight need a quarterback—Miami Dolphins at No. 1, Falcons, Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens at No. 8.
Ryan probably is the only quarterback worthy of being drafted high, but if Flacco impresses enough people, a quarterback-needy team could make a trade to nab Flacco late in the first round, the way the Cleveland Browns traded with the Dallas Cowboys last April to take Notre Dame’s Brady Quinn at No. 22. Clearly, Flacco has put himself into the quarterback mix. And this weekend, he hopes to make a bigger stir.
“There are a lot of different reasons guys play at the smaller level schools, but I think I deserve to be here,” said Flacco. “If you can play, you can play.
“Was I thinking about being a first-round draft pick at this time last year? No. I wasn’t thinking about being a draft pick period. So anywhere I’m picked, I’m going to be happy.”
Senior writer Clifton Brown covers the NFL for Sporting News. E-mail him at cliftonbrown@sportingnews.com.