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Broncos combine notes: Billy Turner remains on radar, but not Antonio Brown By Mike Klis 9NEWS Feb. 26, 2019

As the Broncos contingent led by John Elway convene on Indianapolis this week for the NFL Combine, there will be two orders of business.

One, is getting a feel for free agency. Two is scouting and interviewing up to 60 rookie prospects for the upcoming NFL .

Elway beat just about all Broncos to Indianapolis as he began NFL competition meetings on Monday. Adding some form of replay to subjective judgment calls like the pass interference missed in the NFC Championship Game was discussed Monday, although it was characterized as a scratch-the-surface informational meeting.

Here are some topics of interest for Broncos fans this week:

Antonio Brown

The Broncos aren’t interested in the Steelers’ controversial receiver. Among the non-starters is Brown wants to renegotiate his current contract that pays him $15.125 million in 2019; $11.3 million in 2020 and $12.5 million in 2021.

To pay that kind of money, AND give up a high-round draft pick – AND have to pay even more to keep Brown happy? It doesn’t make sense. The Broncos need another veteran receiver to add to their group that includes coming off an Achilles injury, , DaeSean Hamilton and Tim Patrick. But it won’t be Antonio Brown.

John Brown would make more sense. He developed a strong receiver- relationship with in Baltimore last season. From what I've been told, the Broncos are not scared off by John Brown’s sickle cell trait, and a source close to Brown says the receiver is not afraid of Denver’s mile-high altitude as a possible home -- provided the team expresses interest.

There are several other free-agent receivers for the Broncos to consider, including Tyrell Williams, Golden Tate, Donte Moncrief, Pierre Garcon and Jamison Crowder.

Billy Turner

The Broncos continue to talk with the agent of the versatile offensive lineman with hopes of signing Turner back before he hits free agency.

Problem is, other teams are quietly interested. There is a belief Arizona and Minnesota could be among those who express interest in Turner. Arizona’s offensive line coach is Sean Kugler, who was the Broncos’ offensive line coach last year. There is also Arizona defensive coordinator and former Broncos Vance Joseph who can vouch for Turner.

Minnesota recently hired and Klint Kubiak to run the Vikings’ offense after they worked the past year in Denver.

Legendary Quarterback John Elway Can’t Figure Out By Michael Salfino ESPN.com Feb. 26, 2019

John Elway sees a Hall of Fame quarterback every time he looks in the mirror. So you can imagine the frustration of the ’ general manager that he hasn’t been able to spot a new franchise QB since left town three years ago.

When the Broncos open the 2019 season, Joe Flacco is expected to be the fifth player to get a crack at the position since the 2015 campaign that culminated in a victory. Flacco’s signing came as a shock to Case Keenum, the team’s starting quarterback last year. But it should hardly have been a surprise given that, in Elway’s eight years in charge of the team’s roster, he has already cycled through seven different starting QBs.1 Flacco hardly seems a long-term answer entering his age-34 season — or an answer at all given that he’s 39th out of 42 qualifying starters in yards per pass attempt over the past three seasons, according to ESPN’s Stats & Information Group.

The Broncos are 29th out of the 32 teams in Total Quarterback Rating2 since the start of the 2016 season. And the teams behind them — the Jets, Cardinals and Browns — drafted quarterbacks in 2018 with top-10 picks.

Denver is throwing nowhere fast NFL teams ranked by Total Quarterback Rating, 2016-2018

RANK TEAM TOTAL QB RATING 32 75.9 39.0 31 76.9 41.7 30 75.3 42.7 29 Denver Broncos 79.7 43.0 28 Dolphins 88.2 43.9 27 80.9 47.3 26 85.5 47.5 25 86.1 48.0 24 St. Louis/L.A. Rams 89.6 49.0 23 83.1 49.3 22 88.4 49.7 21 82.7 50.0 20 82.7 50.2 19 Oakland Raiders 91.5 51.1 18 76.9 51.2 17 86.8 55.1 16 Washington Redskins 90.3 56.2 15 85.6 57.7 14 90.6 60.2 13 91.7 60.5 12 92.4 60.9 11 98.6 61.4 10 93.4 61.6 9 98.8 62.2 8 93.0 62.3 7 San Diego/L.A. Chargers 95.5 62.5 6 94.6 65.4 5 95.3 67.6 4 102.8 69.3 3 105.9 69.7 2 105.9 71.7 1 103.2 72.5

It’s difficult to make the case that Flacco is any more likely to reverse the team’s fortunes at quarterback than Keenum was. So the Broncos’ search for a quarterback probably isn’t over. Elway admitted after the season that the team needed to find a long-term solution. But they’re not the only team in the NFL with that problem.

Washington, Miami and Jacksonville are reportedly looking for new quarterbacks, probably vying with Denver to add one via the draft. And the Giants are widely expected to draft a quarterback after general manager Dave Gettleman refused to commit to as the team’s 2019 starter.

Usually, endless quarterback searches correlate with losing. The best example since Elway joined the Broncos’ front office in 2011 is the Browns, who have won just 24.6 percent of their contests while seeing 10 quarterbacks start at least five games. But Denver has managed to win 62.6 percent of its games in that time — the highest winning percentage of any team with at least five different quarterbacks who started at least five games.

Most of Denver’s success in this time frame came with Manning under center. He delivered consistency and success (45-12 regular-season record) to a franchise that hasn’t seen the same quarterback start five seasons in a row since Elway did it himself. So a more impressive showing may belong to the Houston Texans, who somehow posted a 51.2 winning percentage despite starting eight different quarterbacks. The Texans finally seem to have found their long-term answer: , for whom they traded up from the 25th slot in the 2017 draft. The Broncos had a higher selection to trade that year (20th) but held it to select tackle .

One of Elway’s problems is that even without Manning, the Broncos have not been bad enough to be in position to draft a top quarterback. This year, they’re slated to pick 10th — behind both the Giants and Jaguars. But with a 20-28 record over the past three seasons, they’re not overcoming bad QB play, either.

If Flacco does take over as signal-caller, this would be the second year in a row that the Broncos will have looked to another team for its starting QB. That’s an unconventional path to finding a signal caller given that last year, with Keenum, Denver was one of just four teams3 to have a passing leader by attempts who had ever played with another club.

Elway has tried drafting quarterbacks, too, selecting presumed Manning replacement Brock Osweiler in the second round of the 2012 draft, Trevor Siemian in the seventh round in 2015 and 26th-overall selection Paxton Lynch — Elway’s one first-round quarterback pick — a year later. Despite the opportunity to learn tips and tricks from Elway, who mastered the position at a Hall of Fame level, none of those players is currently on Denver’s roster.

Elway had a chance last year to spend a premium pick on a quarterback but passed on and . That was after being beaten to the punch by the Jets for the quarterback he was rumored to prefer among all others in 2018, .4 When he took the job, Elway expected that a consensus franchise quarterback would have to be acquired with a top-five-overall pick. He also believed that one could be developed with the right supporting cast, including the coaching staff. But he did not sound like someone who knew what to look for.

“You look for those traits that you see in each quarterback that you believe can translate into a franchise guy,” Elway told the Denver Post in 2011. “There’s the stuff you can see on film, but there’s so much more that you can’t see on film.”

Flacco has a reputation for being big-armed like Elway, who was famed for imprinting the “Elway Cross” into the chests of his receivers with the velocity of his perfect spirals. But that element to Flacco’s game has faded in recent years: Since 2016, he ranks 37th out of 41 quarterbacks in Raw QBR on passes 20- plus yards from the .

Yet Elway seems content to bet on Flacco’s reversing the team’s fortunes at least in the short term. Does Elway see something in Flacco that few others can, given how widely the transaction has been panned? Or is it possible that one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history just can’t judge or develop quarterbacks?

Cognitive scientist Sian Beilock, the president of Barnard College, wrote in Psychology Today that there’s little chance that former athletes can remember what made them great. In fact, those athletes probably couldn’t have communicated it even when they were playing. “When your performance flows largely outside of your conscious awareness, your memories of what you’ve done are just not that good,” Beilock wrote. “This makes it hard to teach what you know to someone else. … As you get better and better at what you do, your ability to communicate your understanding or to help others learn that skill often gets worse and worse.”

The same presumably holds true for knowing what to look for in a player at the position you played. So it just may be that the worst person to pick the new Elway for the Broncos is Elway himself.

Jace Sternberger has a story to tell, and he’s eager for NFL teams to hear it By Nicki Jhabvala The Athletic Feb. 26, 2019

“You want to talk about one of the most unique stories in the upcoming draft, and his name is ,” former Texas A&M tight ends coach Tim Brewster begins. He pauses briefly before raising his voice in excitement. “He’s an amazing story. I’ve probably had 25 of the 32 teams in the NFL contact me about him.”

It’s early February, weeks before the start of the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis and more than two months before the draft will change the lives of NFL hopefuls. Brewster, a coach of more than 30 years, has recently returned to Chapel Hill, N.C., as part of ’s new staff but is happily fielding call after call about a player from one of his previous coaching stops.

Brewster knows tight ends, having developed the likes of and Colorado native Bo Scaife. And he knows what it takes to make it through the NFL’s winter obstacle course and onto a pro roster.

But no player in his 20-plus years of coaching tight ends has surprised him quite like Sternberger, his star pupil at Texas A&M last year. After a winding path to the SEC, Sternberger put up some of the best numbers at his position in 2018 — 48 catches, 832 receiving yards (17.3 average) and 10 receiving — but was overlooked for the John Mackey Award and enters the draft as an underdog of sorts, despite being a consensus All-American. So far, most draft analysts haven’t included him among their top five tight ends in the class of 2019.

“It’s kind of been the story of my life,” Sternberger said.

But he figures his standing can change quickly. It has in the past. So for the last two months, Sternberger has been training at Landow Performance, a facility that is owned by the Broncos’ head strength and conditioning coach, Loren Landow, and sits less than two miles from the team’s headquarters. It’s the same facility that served as a second home to Phillip Lindsay ahead of his impressive pro day in 2018, and the one that helped Christian McCaffrey prepare for his dominating combine showing a year earlier.

Coincidentally, the Broncos enter the offseason with a glaring need at tight end, as starter Jeff Heuerman is bound for free agency, is recovering from another ACL injury and Troy Fumagalli, a 2018 draft pick, has yet to make his NFL debut. Should general manager John Elway look to fill the void in the upcoming draft, his answer could literally be around the corner.

Sternberger, whose draft projection varies widely, has the potential to shake up the pecking order with an impressive combine. But as Brewster alluded, his story is about much more.

Sternberger’s football journey began in Kingfisher, Okla., a small town about 50 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. His stint as a high school quarterback lasted until his sophomore season, when he injured his shoulder and moved to tight end, a position that allowed him to feature his speed, as a former 400-meter runner, and his natural ability to pull 50-50 balls, as a former power forward.

The original plan was to attend junior college after high school, but he instead chose Kansas, where he was a part of David Beaty’s first recruiting class and immediately thrown into a tight end abyss. After redshirting his freshman season, Sternberger was used sparingly in 2016, recording only one catch for 5 yards while the KU tight end corps as a whole totaled only 11 catches.

“I went there for two years and loved it. Loved the school,” he said. “But I wasn’t really getting used.”

So Sternberger went to back to Plan A and enrolled at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, a junior college where he was stashed on the depth chart but didn’t have to sit out a year.

“They’ll find you at JUCO,” Sternberger said. “I kind of fell in love with football all over again. It was really like backyard football.”

Sternberger didn’t need much time to scale the ranks and put the NCAA on notice once more. At NEO A&M, he recorded 21 receptions for 336 yards and six touchdowns, garnering interest from International University, Boise State and ’s staff, then at Florida State.

He was on the verge of committing to Boise State when, during Thanksgiving break, he heard from Florida State and was tipped off that Fisher might be taking his talents — and much of his staff — to the SEC.

“Two weeks later you get the news that coach Fisher is going to A&M,” Sternberger said. “I found out this information before anybody. I was freaking out. I took my visit out there and three days after Fisher was hired I committed. I was his first commit. I didn’t even have a position coach yet.”

Sternberger was won over by the potential in Fisher’s offense — he loves to utilize his tight ends — and by the recruiting pitch of receivers coach Dameyune Craig.

As he did in JUCO, Sternberger quickly made a mark, becoming the first tight end in Fisher’s 30 years of coaching to win MVP honors in the spring. His rise continued in the regular season as he morphed into A&M’s leading receiver and one of their finest tight ends in history.

“He came in with the attitude that he belonged,” Brewster said. “If you have a tight end that can vertically threaten the defense, where they know you have the ability to stretch the field vertically, everything else becomes easier underneath. He has that unique ability to just take the top off the defense, and he did it from Day One in spring practice.”

And he continued to do so throughout the season.

In a win over South Carolina in October, Sternberger posted a career-high 145 receiving yards and a , averaging 20.7 yards per reception. The highlight: When he dragged a defender more than 25 yards after a catch for a 53-yard gain. He scored two plays later.

Asked after that game about his star tight end, Fisher credited Sternberger’s versatility — his ability to run inside and out — and his improved blocking. He labeled Sternberger “a tireless worker” who is “really becoming a very intelligent football player.”

Brewster took it a step further.

“As a pass receiver, I would have to say he’s got a lot of the same elements that Antonio (Gates) had,” Brewster said. “He’s got really outstanding skills and his ability to competitively catch the ball is exactly what it’s going to be in the because you have to catch the ball in tight windows. Jace can go in the crowds and come out with the ball. Then his ability to run routes like a — and he truly can; he runs routes like a wideout.”

Sternberger was one of eight semifinalists for the Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top tight end. He had a suit picked out and could already envision accepting the honor, but he failed to make it past the semifinal round — despite having more receiving yards, more touchdowns and a higher yards-per- reception average than the three finalists.

He looks back now and believes losing out was one of the best things to happen to him; the backlash generated more promotion, and the snub served as another reminder of humility for Sternberger.

“It kept me down to earth,” he said. “I come from a good family and good schools and people may think that I’m spoiled. But look what I’ve been through. You can’t really say that.”

After the finalists were announced in mid-November, A&M capped its regular season with a seven- victory against LSU. Sternberger totaled had five catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns in the win. The icing: a Gator Bowl win over North Carolina State on New Year’s Eve.

The next day, Sternberger announced he would forego his senior season and declare for the draft.

“To average 17.3 yards a catch as a tight end in the SEC — you’re facing the best defenses, you’re facing the best players in the country and he excelled week in and week out against the absolute best,” Brewster said. “I think that Jace was certainly deserving, but I told him, ‘Who cares? The bottom line is you had a heck of a season.’ He made a decision to declare for the draft, so let’s go.”

Sternberger was voted a first-team All-American and first-team All-SEC for his 2018 performance, but his NFL landing spot will be dictated in large part by his next performances: at the combine and then his pro day March 26.

To prepare, Sternberger packed on 11 pounds of muscle to his 6-foot-4 frame, to go from 238 to 249, and said he’d be disappointed if his 40-yard dash didn’t clock in around 4.5 seconds, a time that would put him among the top-performing tight ends over the last five years.

But Sternberger’s plan to win over NFL teams will begin with those 15-minute conversations. He’s expected to meet with all 32 teams while in Indianapolis and will develop his predraft visit schedule soon after.

“I think I’m most excited for the interviews because not a lot of people know me,” Sternberger said. “I’ve kind of slipped under the radar. People see me playing football but they really don’t get to know me. I’m more excited for people to find out my story.”

Roquan Smith 2.0? LB could be 'big-time difference maker' for Broncos By Aric DiLalla DenverBroncos.com Feb. 26, 2019

As the Chicago Bears compiled the best scoring defense in the NFL in 2018, then-defensive coordinator helped install Roquan Smith as the anchor of the Bears’ defense.

The eighth-overall pick missed all of the team’s offseason workouts and the beginning of training camp due to a contract dispute, but Fangio folded Smith in on the fly — and the results followed.

Smith played all 16 games — starting 14 — and tallied 121 tackles, an , five passes defensed and five sacks.

And though the Bears’ defense featured several playmakers that included and , Smith played a pivotal role in the center of the unit.

As Fangio approaches his first season as Denver’s head coach, the Broncos could soon find themselves with a similarly impactful player at .

In his first mock draft of the offseason, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah predicted the Broncos would take LSU linebacker Devin White — and he added Monday that Fangio would likely use White in the same vein as Smith.

“That’s the blueprint for how you would use him,” Jeremiah said.

Smith and White have similar accolades — they won the , given to ’s best linebacker, in consecutive seasons.

But the 6-foot-1, 240-pound White could be even more athletic. In Jeremiah’s latest prospect rankings, he said White was his ninth-best player available in the draft.

“White has what teams are looking for at the position: the ability to run, cover and blitz,” Jeremiah wrote.

That could be key in the Broncos’ hopes to improve their defense in 2019. Jeremiah, who spent the season doing radio coverage of games, said he saw firsthand what can happen when teams have that can play the run but not the pass.

“When you have linebackers that can’t cover … it’s a liability,” Jeremiah said Monday. “You will get picked on repeatedly. It’s tough to hide out there when you have a linebacker that can’t cover. So to me, you start right there. [White]’s going to be able to run and cover and help match up against some of the better tight ends and even some of these backs [with] how they’re used in the passing game. That’s a huge asset.”

And then, when you add Fangio’s schematics to White’s skill set, that’s when the fun could really begin.

“Vic has a way [where] he can cut it loose as a blitzer, too,” Jeremisah said. “He’s outstanding. Not only blitzing inside but coming off the edge, [White]’s got a good feel. He’s got real strong hands.

“So I think he’d be a big-time difference maker there for the Broncos.”

Who does Cecil Lammey have the Broncos taking in his Mock Draft 1.0? By Johnny Hart 1043 the Fan Feb. 26, 2019

Everyone loves mock drafts. Actually, everyone loves to hate mock drafts. But it’s that time of year where, once again, I release my first mock draft of the season.

This mock draft was done right before I leave for the NFL Scouting Combine. The information gathered during my annual “All-Star Road Trip” (East-West Shrine Game, Reese’s Senior Bowl) is quite reliable, and the Combine is the last time that good information can be had. After that, it seems agents and NFL teams will float a lot of misinformation as they jockey for position.

I will do three more mock drafts before the 2019 NFL draft in Nashville, Tennessee, at the end of April. There will be some “what if?” scenarios examined in those mocks, but this mock is straight forward and a projection of what I think these teams will do in the first round.

Hold onto your hats and get ready to fire up the keyboard in response to my first 2019 mock draft.

Arizona Cardinals — , DT, Alabama I know everyone thinks the Cardinals will make a splash here with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback , but he’s not the best player in this class. Williams is.

Arizona’s defense gets an immediate upgrade with a dominant and intimidating presence who should make opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable early and often.

San Francisco 49ers — , DE, Ohio State The 49ers have had some impact defensive linemen over the years, and Bosa will fit right into that category.

Bosa, the younger brother of Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa, should be an elite pass rusher from his first start in the pros.

New York Jets — Josh Allen, edge, Kentucky I fully expect this pick to be up for grabs, as the Jets don’t have a second-round pick this year after trading it away in the package to move up for quarterback Sam Darnold last year.

If they stay at this spot, getting a pass rusher is a must. Allen is fast off the edge and one of the most disruptive players in this draft.

Oakland Raiders — , DE, Mississippi State This is another spot where quarterback Kyler Murray could land, as I’ve heard since early January that the Raiders like him a lot.

With three first-round picks in 2019, the Raiders avoid the hype of a quarterback and go with a supremely athletic edge player in Sweat.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers — , DE, Michigan The Buccaneers have a ton of work to get done with new head coach . With this pick, I believe they’ll get new defensive coordinator one of the most versatile players in this draft and go with Gary.

Gary can set the edge as an end or move inside on third downs to get penetrations as a rusher. A 2018 shoulder injury will be examined closely at the Scouting Combine this week.

New York Giants — , QB, Ohio State This is the worst kept secret in the league, and perhaps the one pick that is the same in almost every mock draft out there.

Haskins is seen as the best quarterback in this draft class, and the Giants need to find someone they can turn the offense over to when they figure out what to do with the aging Eli Manning.

Jacksonville Jaguars — , QB, Missouri It’s a quarterback run.

Once seen as a late first-round pick, Lock had a solid Senior Bowl earlier this year and has moved up into the top-10 conversation.

The Jaguars messed up and paid last year. Here they work to correct that mistake with the selection of Lock, who could be a franchise quarterback.

Detroit Lions — T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa After letting go last year, the Lions have been looking for an impact tight end. Hockenson is the best tight end in this class and worthy of a top-10 selection.

Hockenson can block with authority, but he is a fine receiving option where he can get open from an in- line stance or from the slot.

Buffalo Bills — D.K. Metcalf, WR, Mississippi The Bills need to find a quality receiving weapon for second-year quarterback Josh Allen.

Metcalf will need to have his neck injury from 2018 checked out at the Combine, but a clean bill of health means he could be the first wide receiver off the board, as he is here.

Denver Broncos — Devin White, ILB, LSU

Having White fall to No. 10 is a perfect scenario for both sides. I think he’s a top-three player in this draft, but the need (see: desperation) at quarterback with teams in front of the Broncos could push White within their range.

White is the best inside linebacker in this class, and he can play on all three downs. He could step right in and start for the Broncos under head coach Vic Fangio.

Last year with the Bears, Fangio took top-10 linebacker Roquan Smith and made him into a star. I fully expect White to follow in that path if the Broncos get him in the first round, even if they have to move up to get him.

Cincinnati Bengals — Irv Smith Jr., TE, Alabama New Bengals head coach Zac Taylor has to find a threat at the tight end position. They haven’t had an impact player at the position in quite some time, as Tyler Eifert, who is set to be a free agent, has failed to stay healthy over the last few years.

Smith is still somewhat raw at the position, but a upside is there due to his build up speed and athleticism.

Green Bay Packers — , DE, Clemson Finding better edge rushers is a must for the Packers defense, and Ferrell is a game-wrecking defensive end who can win with strength and quickness.

The Packers have another first-round pick later in this draft where they can address needs on offense, but Ferrell is too good to slide much further.

Miami Dolphins — Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma Murray goes off the board to a team that is going to face a lengthy rebuilding process, including a 2019 season where they might tank.

The Dolphins haven’t had a franchise quarterback since Dan Marino, and they hope Murray can be that guy. Murray is small but elusive and has a strong arm where he can flick the ball off platform and get it downfield in a hurry.

He may not work out, but Murray will have South Beach buzzing about his potential.

Atlanta Falcons — , CB, LSU It’s a three-corner league now, and Williams should not fall this far. He’s the best corner in this draft class in my opinion, mainly due to his length and nose for the ball.

Williams can be a dominant force in coverage, working well with veteran and last year’s second-round pick Isaiah Oliver.

Washington Redskins — Daniel Jones, QB, Duke There is no question that Washington is in the market for a quarterback. We may never see last year’s starter play football again after a horrific leg injury suffered in the 2018 season.

Jones did not look like a first-round quarterback at the Senior Bowl practices earlier this year. His upside as a smart pocket passer is what attracts the Redskins to this pick.

Carolina Panthers — Ed Oliver, DT, Houston The Panthers could use some help on the defensive line, especially with defensive end Mario Addison entering the final year of his contract.

Oliver is a top-10 talent but may fall a bit due to perceived attitude issues. He’s regularly, and unfairly, compared to . But Oliver is a disruptive force who needs to impress in the interview process at the Combine.

Cleveland Browns — , WR, Oklahoma Why not get quarterback more weapons on offense?

Brown is incredibly elusive and makes defenders miss with ease. As a sophomore, he was a 1,000-yard receiver with Mayfield tossing him the rock with the Sooners. It would be interesting if they got to try and duplicate that success in the pros.

Minnesota Vikings — , OT, Alabama The Vikings need a ton of help on the offensive line.

Williams doesn’t weigh a ton — 305 pounds — but is the best offensive tackle prospect in this class. Adding him as a Day One starter should give quarterback much better protection.

Tennessee Titans — , TE, Iowa That’s right, two Iowa tight ends could go off the board in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft.

Fant isn’t as strong a blocker as Hockenson, but he’s sound in his technique and a fine receiving option who draws comparisons in the scouting community to Eric Ebron.

The Titans need to add talent at the position with an aging Delanie Walker, and Fant should push Jonnu Smith for snaps immediately.

Pittsburgh Steelers — Devin Bush, ILB, Michigan The Steelers have historically found great linebackers in the draft, and Bush would fit right in with what they do.

Bush is fantastic when it comes to finding the ball and getting to the play in a hurry, and with plenty of natural violence.

Seattle Seahawks — Greg Little, OT, Mississippi Seattle’s offensive line still has work to do in order to better protect quarterback and blast open holes for its rushing attack. Enter Little, who is anything but at 325 pounds.

Little is an earth-moving tackle as a run-blocker, and he covers a lot of ground with his kick slide in pass protection.

Baltimore Ravens — Jachai Polite, OLB, Florida The Ravens have a need for youth when it comes to their pass rushers. Terrell Suggs is no spring chicken and set to be a free agent (although the Ravens should keep him around for 2019).

Polite is one of the most feared edge rushers in this draft class. He gets off the line quickly and led the nation with six forced in 2018 in addition to racking up 11 sacks.

Houston Texans — , OT, Kansas State The Texans need to do a better job of protecting franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Risner was one of the most impressive prospects, regardless of position, at the Senior Bowl earlier this year. The closest thing you’ll find, attitude-wise, to , Risner brings a nastiness to the field that opponents will fear.

Oakland Raiders (via Chicago Bears) — , CB, Georgia The Raiders will double up on defensive prospects with their first two picks. Oakland’s secondary needs help, especially playing in the AFC West against the likes of and .

Baker may struggle against larger receivers, but he certainly is a feisty player who doesn’t back down from any challenge.

Philadelphia Eagles — , CB, Washington The Eagles are likely to let move on in free agency, and that creates a in the secondary that must be filled. That’s the reasoning behind the pick of Murphy here.

Murphy is a playmaking ball hawk who can get his hands on the ball.

Indianapolis Colts — N’Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State The Colts are in a Super Bowl window, but they need more weapons in their passing attack.

Harry could provide big-play potential for Andrew Luck with an elite size-speed combination. Some say he doesn’t get enough separation in his routes, but Harry attacks the ball in the air and consistently wins at the point of the catch.

Oakland Raiders (via Dallas Cowboys) — , DT, Clemson That makes three defensive picks for the Raiders in the first round.

Wilkins gives them strength up front with a non-stop motor. He’s a versatile player who shined both at end and tackle during his days in college at Clemson.

Los Angeles Chargers — , DT, Clemson Back-to-back Tigers go here, although their games are a bit different.

The Chargers are getting an anchor in the middle of the defensive line with Lawrence. He may not add much in the way of interior pressure on the passer, but he certainly won’t get pushed around.

Kansas City Chiefs — , RB, Alabama This is the only I’ve got going in the first round.

The Chiefs have a supremely talented quarterback in Patrick Mahomes, but they need a ground game that can threaten a defense. That was lost when Kareem Hunt was released last year, and that is back in place with a bruiser like Jacobs in the first round this year.

Green Bay Packers (via New Orleans Saints) — , S, Alabama A wrist injury, which needed surgery, in February doesn’t knock a playmaker like Thompson out of the first round.

The Packers need help in their secondary, and Thompson should be ready in time for minicamp later this year.

Los Angeles Rams — , DT, Notre Dame The Rams could move on from , letting him walk in free agency after signing him to a one-year deal last offseason. That creates a need for a , and Tillery would be a great fit for a Wade Phillips defense.

He’s huge and provides an interior pass that could be almost unfair when teamed up with Aaron Donald inside.

New England Patriots — Will Grier, QB, West Virginia New England has two second-round picks, and they might try to get Grier in that spot. I fully expect the Patriots to start planning for the future, again, and that’s what makes Grier an option here.

Grier ran a version of the “Air Raid” offense in college and is accurate enough to work the short-to- intermediate passing game effectively.

Phillip Lindsay sends inspiring message to players snubbed by NFL combine By Chris Cwik Yahoo.com Feb. 26, 2019

Denver Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay knows a thing or two about getting snubbed. Despite not attending the NFL Scouting Combine or even being drafted, Lindsay still made the Pro Bowl as a rookie.

After turning himself into a star, Lindsay is trying to motivate other college players who are fighting to get noticed. The 24-year-old Lindsey sent out an inspiring message to those hopeful draftees, telling them “You only need one opportunity.”

Phillip Lindsay If you didn’t get an invite to the combine, don’t sweat it. Use it as motivation. Remember you only need one opportunity and that’s your PRO DAY. 20 RBs got drafted, but how many do you hear about 🤔🤔? #whatsAcombine #Probowl

Lindsay wants the players snubbed from the NFL scouting combine to use that as motivation to get better. He then reminds those athletes that they can still show off their stuff at their Pro Day.

That strategy worked out well for Lindsay. By all accounts, his Pro Day was excellent. While it didn’t lead to him getting drafted, it did give him an opportunity to join the Broncos after the draft. You already know what Lindsay did with that opportunity.

In his first season in the NFL, Lindsay rushed for 1,037 yards and nine touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl, but did not play in the game due to a wrist injury.

To those NFL draft hopefuls who didn’t get invited to the combine, don’t give up. If you keep grinding, you can still have success in the NFL. Phillip Lindsay is proof of that.

NFL unlikely to change review rules, but could crack down on players joining celebrations By Frank Schwab Yahoo.com Feb. 26, 2019

The NFL clearly knows what its fans want.

A better mechanism in place to fix egregiously wrong calls? No, no. What really bothers fans is players coming off the sideline for celebrations, right?

The NFL’s priorities can be humorous. While the competition committee is reportedly unlikely to propose any changes to the replay review process, after the highly controversial non-call in the Saints- Rams NFC championship game, it might propose a rule to limit players coming off the sideline for celebrations.

Sure.

Mark Maske of the Washington Post said the competition committee, which meets this week, will look into proposing a rule prohibiting players from joining on-field celebrations. This is “at the behest of some teams and coaches,” Maske said.

It doesn’t seem like any fans really care about who is involved with celebrations after touchdowns or turnovers. People do care about the legitimacy of officiating, which took a big hit after that NFC title game.

The competition committee will talk about any potential changes in reviews. But Judy Battista of NFL Media reported one member of the committee told her he wasn’t sure anything would be done to the instant replay rules, and “definitely doesn’t see enough support for reviewing non-calls.”

But at least the NFL might eliminate players coming off the sideline after touchdowns to celebrate. That’s what everyone was concerned about.

It has been reported the committee will discuss the replay rules, so maybe there will end up being a movement to change things during those talks. The competition committee meets in Indianapolis during the annual scouting combine.

If a proposal for a new rule is made, it is made to the owners at the annual league meeting in March.

If the committee meets and decides against any changes to the replay review system, the people in New Orleans probably won’t be too pleased.

Phillip Lindsay has advice for players not invited to the Combine By Michael David Smith Pro Football Talk Feb. 26, 2019

Coming out of Colorado a year ago, Phillip Lindsay wasn’t invited to the Combine. But he signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent, and became the first undrafted rookie ever chosen to the Pro Bowl.

Now Lindsay has some advice for other players who aren’t invited to Indianapolis this week.

“If you didn’t get an invite to the Combine, don’t sweat it,” Lindsay wrote. “Use it as motivation. Remember you only need one opportunity and that’s your PRO DAY. 20 RBs got drafted, but how many do you hear about?”

Lindsay had an excellent college career, setting the Colorado career record for all-purpose yards and , yet he was overlooked anyway. His rookie season is evidence that the folks who make the decisions on Combine invitations are far from perfect, when you’re a player who’s not invited to the Combine, your career is far from over.

Report: Raiders and Oakland close to agreement for 2019 By Darin Gantt Pro Football Talk Feb. 26, 2019

Meet the new hole. Same as the old hole.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Raiders and local officials have reached an agreement on a deal which will allow them to play at least the 2019 season in Oakland.

The negotiations with the Coliseum Authority had progressed well in recent days, and while final details are being ironed out, a deal could be wrapped up by Friday.

The Raiders needed a temporary home since their new place in Las Vegas won’t be ready until at least 2020 (there’s an option for 2020 in case it isn’t finished), so an awkward return always seemed like the most logical result.

NBA: Big payoff for a little patch By Terry Lefton Sports Business Journal Feb. 26, 2019

The NBA’s jersey patch program is more than halfway through its three-season test and the results are clear: It’s a slam dunk.

As the league continues to search for new revenue, the patch program has delivered, generating more than $150 million. And 20 of the 29 team patch sponsors, including Harley-Davidson and Rakuten, are doing business with NBA teams for the first time.

Now the task ahead will be how to improve and expand the patch program, including where teams are allowed to sell jerseys containing the patches.

Team, league and brand executives all feel the program has been an overwhelming success, with exposure numbers easily exceeding projections. Clubs expect new deals and renewals will be for more money and longer terms. One top team executive predicts a 20 percent to 30 percent price increase for Patch 2.0.

“Like most teams, we’re heading towards renewal thinking these are worth substantially more, because the impression numbers have been so good,” said Milwaukee Bucks President Peter Feigin, who would not disclose specific patch values.

The league would not discuss any specific increases in value, but expects new or renewed patch deals to be more lucrative. The current deals reportedly range between $5 million and $20 million annually. At press time, every NBA team but the Oklahoma City Thunder had a patch deal.

“The revenue has exceeded expectations and we think the success of the program to date will help drive value in the future,” said Amy Brooks, president of the league’s team marketing and business operations division and chief innovation officer for the NBA. “It has proven to be a unique asset that draws brands for different reasons.”

According to Navigate Research, which has valued select jersey patch deals for NBA teams, the average exposure value has been 25 percent to 50 percent higher than the sponsor fees, with the average patch exposure at 10 to 15 minutes of highly legible visibility during game broadcasts.

“The next phase of the deals is to maximize the marketplace,” said Emilio Collins, chief business officer for Excel Sports Management, which represents a handful of teams in their patch deals. “The data supports substantial increases in value. There has been phenomenal reach.”

The patch program was created in 2017 after more than a year of consideration as owners debated how the deals would be structured and how revenue would be shared. Any changes to the current three-year pilot patch program, which ends in April 2020, must be approved by league owners.

As the NBA looks to extend the program, league and team officials say there is no demand to increase the size of the 2.5-by-2.5-inch patches. “There has been zero negative reaction to the size of the patch,” said Alex Martins, CEO of the Orlando Magic. “Consumers have become accustomed to it.”

Active discussions are focused on making NBA jerseys with ad patches the league’s “authentic” on-court wear — and thus the only jerseys available at retail. Currently, NBA jerseys with patches are only sold at team-controlled stores and websites.

More preliminary and more complicated are talks between the league and its teams on whether to expand territorial rights for patches and other marketing inventory. The league emphasized the early nature of those talks and would not comment on any specific changes.

“We are discussing retail distribution first and foremost,” Brooks said. “Our data has shown that fans want what the players wear on the court. Also, more flexibility in creative for a patch partner especially as we have flexibility in creative in our uniforms.”

Team executives are clear in their push for expanding the patch at retail.

“You can’t even buy a European soccer jersey without the sponsor on it,” said Golden State Warriors President Rick Welts, who in 2009 sold the WNBA’s first uniform ad, when Arizona-based LifeLock bought space on the Phoenix Mercury’s jerseys.

“Fans want whatever’s authentic,” Welts continued. “So inevitably, that [all jerseys at retail having ad patches] is going to happen.”

Predictably, Nike is far less sanguine about having an advertising patch be part of every NBA jersey at retail, preferring that decision be made by consumers. Because of the long lead times required by jersey manufacturers (six to nine months), it’s already growing late for the 2019-20 season should the league want to revamp the program early.

For the first iteration of jersey advertising, the NBA prohibited categories including spirits, gambling, tobacco, media concerns, political ads, and competitors of Nike, which holds on-court uniform rights.

Said Cleveland Cavaliers CEO Len Komoroski, “There were stops and starts on the way in, but clearly it has worked even better than we hoped. As we move forward, it will be helpful to have it at a vantage point as a long-term proposition, rather than just a test.”