Draft
On Thursday, Mike Mayock released his version of the top-five 2018 draft prospects by position.
- At quarterback, Mayock has them ranked: 1) Sam Darnold, 2) Josh Allen, 3) Josh Rosen, 4) Baker Mayfield, T-5. Lamar Jackson, T-5. Mason Rudolph.
- Running back figures to be another position that will get a lot of attention in the coming months. Mayock’s top-five are: 1) Saquon Barkley, 2) Derrius Guice, 3) Ronald Jones II, 4) Sony Michel, 5) Nick Chubb.
- Texas RB Chris Warren III said that academic issues after attempting to transfer schools led to him declaring for the 2018 NFL Draft: “Some things got to me and threw me off a little bit. My schedule and routine got messed up. And so my grades didn’t look the way they should have. Some things transpired. I couldn’t transfer. I would have had to go back to school for a semester, but it would have had to have been out of my own pocket. So it was best for my family if I went into the draft.”
Player Tracking Data
- Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that the NFL Competition Committee recently signed off on a plan to release in-game player-tracking data on every NFL player to all 32 teams.
- According to Pelissero, the plan is for the league-wide data from 2016 and ’17 to be distributed to teams beginning in mid-April and they will league-wide data on a weekly basis during the 2018 season.
- Pelissero says that not every coach and scout is sold on the value of this data. However, an analyst for one NFL team believes this has “massive scouting potential” for teams to exploit: “More new metrics. Understanding if certain fields are slower or faster. Fatigue and injury prevention. Seeing which players are really explosive but maybe don’t make plays because the scheme is bad.”
- Pelissero adds that some teams have argued that releasing this data will negatively impact teams that aren’t as invested in analyzing the data, but the Competition Committee ultimately decided to approve this release.
Drew Stanton
Cardinals free agent QB Drew Staton said he’s hoping to find a “good situation” this offseason, even though his production hasn’t been all that great.
“I want to play, looking for a good situation,” Staton said, per Sirius XM NFL Radio. “But I also know that I’m not a sexy pick. I don’t look good on paper. My stats are bad, but the only thing I’ve been concerned with is wins.”
Panthers
- According to the Charlotte Observer, South Carolina businessman named Ben Navarro is actively exploring a bid to purchase the Carolina Panthers franchise from Jerry Richardson.
- Navarro is a former Citigroup executive who now heads Sherman Financial Group, which is a debt collection firm based in Charleston.
Looking for the latest NFL Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow NFL Trade Rumors on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NFL News and Rumors for all 32 teams!
