National Football League

[jmdirt]

Nobody's coming close to 4.0. World class sprinters wouldn't break 4.1.

Of all the combine events, 40 time is prolly the one I pay least attention to. Look at Brady - oops - he's a QB. Well then, look at Steve Largent, Fred Biletnikoff. Actually, the combine is more of a spectacle than something of value. Want value? Watch game film. Talk to, not analyze (like the Wonderlic), players. There's more value in those two things (sans the Wonderlic) than combine results. Of all the combine events the ones that have more value though are the ones involving change of direction.

Ha! JPP is suing ESPN and Adam Schefter over release of JPP's medical records when he was hospitalized for his July 4 hand injury. Hope JPP wins. I think he will. I actually saw the release of the records in a Schefter tweet not long after the accident occurred. I was appalled. Bad form by Schefty, the gossip queen.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...n-adam-schefter-over-released-medical-records

That was tongue in cheek, sorry I should have used the emoticon. The combine is silly. From a spectacle standpoint I get why the NFL does it, but I would seriously question any coach or GM who doesn't put 98% of their emphasis on game tape over the combine...as you said. I agree with Alpe that it is a chance to see the future of the NFL, albeit in a Disneyland/Hollywood situation.

 

[jmdirt]

OK, scratch my "news", Kaep wants to be traded...

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Good points on the QBs there Alpe.
As much as the combine is silly or overhyped, I too still like watching it. But mostly just on the NFL Network with Mike Mayock, who has good player insight due to all the film he's watched. And he has realistic thoughts on player's potential for success in the NFL. I do like Gruden on ESPN, but the other two knuckleheads he has to work with (Kiper and McShay) miss the boat in a lot of cases. If Gruden decides to lock horns with Kiper that could (and has) provide interesting fireworks.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

OK, scratch my "news", Kaep wants to be traded...

No real surprise for 49ers fans. Ever since he was benched there has been no end of stories and usually the truth is in there somewhere plus some people reckon he was harshly treated by management. Neither Chip, Ballke or anyone else has said categorically that they want him and need him which is why there was so much talk. The support has been pretty lukewarm in the media especially from the 49ers camp.

 

[jmdirt]

Re: Re:

OK, scratch my "news", Kaep wants to be traded...

No real surprise for 49ers fans. Ever since he was benched there has been no end of stories and usually the truth is in there somewhere plus some people reckon he was harshly treated by management. Neither Chip, Ballke or anyone else has said categorically that they want him and need him which is why there was so much talk. The support has been pretty lukewarm in the media especially from the 49ers camp.

When the first trade talks popped up in Decemberish, Kaep said that he would like to work with Kelly...hey that's his coach now. Chip was asked about Kaep at the combine and he lead several talking heads (not David Byrne) to believe that Kaep was the guy. I will LMAO if Kaep goes to Phili! How about Kaep to Cle?

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

If you can believe any of it, the picture painted by the Twitter wire goes like this:
- 21 hours ago new HC Chip Kelly says he has had multiple talks with Colin and based on that Chip thinks Colin wants to play as a Niner.
- 17 hours ago it is reported Chip wants Colin to COMPETE for the QB position.
- not long after that, Colin's agents ask PERMISSION for trade.
Could be wrong, but that makes it look like Colin does not want to compete for the job and just wants it almost guaranteed. If that is his stance, good luck finding a job somewhere else outside of SF.
Interesting part about permission for trade is that Colin needs written permission to seek trade for him to retain his guaranteed money. He does not have written permission yet.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

And he's not likely to get much of an offer. If he's thinking some team is guaranteed to give him a starting job, he has another thing coming to him. Even if they traded him somewhere like Cleveland, or St. Louis, I mean Los Angeles, he wouldn't be penciled in as the starter, and would have to compete.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

OK, scratch my "news", Kaep wants to be traded...

No real surprise for 49ers fans. Ever since he was benched there has been no end of stories and usually the truth is in there somewhere plus some people reckon he was harshly treated by management. Neither Chip, Ballke or anyone else has said categorically that they want him and need him which is why there was so much talk. The support has been pretty lukewarm in the media especially from the 49ers camp.

When the first trade talks popped up in Decemberish, Kaep said that he would like to work with Kelly...hey that's his coach now. Chip was asked about Kaep at the combine and he lead several talking heads (not David Byrne) to believe that Kaep was the guy. I will LMAO if Kaep goes to Phili! How about Kaep to Cle?

He has had three surgeries since he was benched. Shoulder ligament in his non throwing arm, knee clean out and thumb surgery I think on his non throwing hand. Not sure about that one. So at this stage he won't be passing a medical anyway.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

I think you guys are right-on regarding Kaep. Here is interesting thought however. 9ers Polly will not want Kaep going to LA rams! Think about that. The rams with running game built around Gurley, and then introduce a running QB like Colin. Gurley might just get 10 more yards per carry. Could be electrifying.

 

[Merckx index]

Kaepernick is becoming his own worst enemy. If he stays at SF, he makes $12 million a year, gets to work with the one coach who is most likely to bring out his best, and probably only has to compete with Gabbert. The 49ers have a pretty high draft pick, in the top ten, and might take a QB, but by then Kelly could have a pretty good idea of whether Kaep has enough potential to pass on a QB. The team has enough additional needs that if they think Kaepernick can play anywhere close to what he did a couple of years ago, they would probably prefer to go with him and use the pick on some other position.

The worst case scenario for him is that he stays and Gabbert or some draft pick wins the starting job. But if he can’t beat out Gabbert, and shows so little promise to Kelly that the 49ers draft a QB in the first round, there isn’t much reason to think he would win the starting job at another team, either. A year ago Gabbert was considered one of the worst backups, let alone starters, in the NFL. His stock has risen a little, but not that much.

And if you’re a team that needs a QB, why would you take Kaepernick, with his high salary and the cost of draft picks, when you could try RGIII on the cheap? I’d take Kaepernick over Manziel, even assuming Johnny F. is not in jail next year, but for the money involved, RGIII could be a great bargain. In fact, if Kaepernick does leave SF, I wonder if Kelly would be interested in RGIII, another mobile (at least formerly) QB with a strong arm. Depending on what RGIII has left in his legs, he could be a great fit for Kelly’s system.

NFL considering shortening the preseason to three games. Sounds good to me. By game 4, the starters are generally ready, and only play one or two series, anyway. Really, they could cut the preseason to two games, and everyone would be ready. The four games are just to make money, though for the life of me, I’ve never understood fans who are so hooked on the NFL that they pay to watch games that don’t count.

One less game means reducing the chances of preseason injuries, and the extra week has several possible uses, such as adding an extra bye week during the regular season. Or, if they don’t want to give up that lost money, adding another game to the regular season schedule.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Re:

Great post Merckxi. And I really liked this one:

The four games are just to make money, though for the life of me, I’ve never understood fans who are so hooked on the NFL that they pay to watch games that don’t count.

Almost, but not quite, like watching the Pro Bowl.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Re:

NFL considering shortening the preseason to three games. Sounds good to me... Or, if they don’t want to give up that lost money, adding another game to the regular season schedule.

I discussed this a few pages back somewhat. The one thing I would not want to see are more regular season, or post season games. The players are already pushed to the physical limit, and injuries are such a toll, they impact the outcome if not just games, but the season for some teams.

I recommend stripping 1 pre-season game, and adding a second bye week for the players to rest. The NFL has done this in the past and I think it's a good idea.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Yep, I too am all for a shorter preseason without extra regular season games. Plus, that way they could restructure when the bye weeks are for each team so it is fair to every team. I do not think it is fair for teams who get their bye weeks early.

I for got to mention one reason why I really like listening to Mike Mayock, and this weekend combine reminded me of that. He really knows the ins and outs of position technique. Not surprising to find out he played football at Boston College, was a 10th round 1981 pick of the Steelers, who was then cut and picked up by the Giants as a safety for the 1982-1983 seasons. No wonder.

No wonder teams salivate over Laremy Tunsil (OT). Dude is a physical specimen. So was 1989 Packer 1st round pick (2nd overall) Tony Manderich, who played 4 years for the Pack, took 4 years off, then played another 2 seasons coming back. Tony was not what I'd call a total bust, but just did not ever become the player they had hoped even though the Pack gave him every chance. Walter Jones coming out of Florida State was also a specimen. So we will see. More later.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Re: Re:

Great post Merckxi. And I really liked this one:

The four games are just to make money, though for the life of me, I’ve never understood fans who are so hooked on the NFL that they pay to watch games that don’t count.

Almost, but not quite, like watching the Pro Bowl.

Simple I thought ----- but people want to get a chance to see the new players. Plus Merikans can't wait for the football season to begin so by that time they will take anything.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I agree with Glenn on pre-season games. Games 2 and 3 tend to be worth watching, as game 2 you see guys with a good chance to make the team giving all. Game 3 you see a lot of the true starters, and likely back-ups fighting to show. Can the pre-season be cut down to just two games, and the rest decided in camp (with fuller contact drills, like Belicheck wants?). I think it's possible.

I would definitely call Mandrich a bust. Not on the level of Jamarcus Russell or Ryan Leaf, but definitely a bust. The biggest reason being that he was taken ahead of Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas, Deion Sanders, Steve Atwater, Eric Metcalf, and Andre Rison. But Mandrich also had serious work ethic issues after hyping himself up as some sort of dedicated superman, and later admitted he have PED issues as well.

But had he been taken in the 2nd round for example, no one would have thought anything about his mediocre career.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Ouch! I forgot that SI cover article. Just goes to emphasize though that being a physical specimen does not guarantee stardom, like Walter Jones achieved. What if Tunsil was not such a physical specimen but had all the athletic attributes? I do think Tunsil has the athletic ability to perform well at the next level. It just depends on intangibles that don't test out.

Overall, I liked the combine O-Line drills, but think the use of rabbits could be improved. They way the combine does it, the mirror can look better or worse depending on his athletic ability, true, but also on the luck of the draw as to which guy will be his rabbit on each drill. Watching the offensive linemen drills, I thought many of the drills were very relevant, good drills to emphasize skills. Many of those drills required the use of rabbits, who were other offensive linemen combine participants that the player tested was required to mirror.

The issue: Quickness and agility of rabbits (other offensive line participants) are all over the map. So an above average skilled mirroring player who draws a slow, non-agile rabbit will look like a stud. Or a below average skill guy who draws a slow rabbit will not look so bad (e.g. make it appear he has sound technique). This all makes it more difficult to compare and separate the wheat from the chaff, figuratively speaking.

My suggestion: To make the drills that use rabbits better, select rabbits who are not combine participants who meet certain specifications for quickness, agility, and speed (size and strength do not matter in some of these drills because there is no physical contact). The talent pool for the rabbits could be selected from DI-FBS, DI-FCS, DII, or even DIII talent who are not combine player participants. Using a group of rabbits who have a more CONSISTENT set of abilities would improve the evaluation process.

Of the QB's Wentz looks the part and think he will do well in the NFL if he goes to a good organization. The thing that made him stand out to me was his accuracy compared to the others. Browns may be interested, and maybe the new HC, who I respect as a coach, can make it work overall and for Wentz should he go there. Goff is good and would be my second ranked QB.

 

[jmdirt]

Ouch!
Of the QB's Wentz looks the part and think he will do well in the NFL if he goes to a good organization. The thing that made him stand out to me was his accuracy compared to the others. Browns may be interested, and maybe the new HC, who I respect as a coach, can make it work overall and for Wentz should he go there. Goff is good and would be my second ranked QB.

Wait, you started out by saying "...if he goes to a good organization." but then talked about him going to the Browns. I agree with you that he looks the best at this point. I would like to watch game tape of Wentz side-by-side with Winston, Mariota, Luck, Newton, etc. just to get a perspective. My memory sucks, but I remember the others that I listed being better. Is he on par with Carr? That doesn't determine how he will develop in the NFL, but it would be an interesting comparison.

 

[jmdirt]

Ian Johnson on local sports radio spent 7-8 minutes talking about Kaep going to LA. I wonder if he knows something, or if he's just filling space.

I also listened to ESPN radio this AM and they had Stephan A Smith on. I just don't like that guy. Among other things, he seems like a guy who only knows what he is fed. He also always seems like he is telling everyone how smart he is, and how much the rest of us don't know (that's especially annoying when coupled with my first point). I don't like his side-kick either. Together they are like the Springier Show of ESPN.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

They don't call it the four letter network for nothing.

As to the whole "physical specimen" thought, keep in mind that Jadeveon Clowney was an athletic beast coming out of college, expected to make a huge impact immediately in the NFL. So far he's either been hurt, or mediocre, playing for Houston. Often not even starting. Kalil Mack was taken a few spots below him, was thought to be a potential impact player, and he turned out to have much more drive, leadership and work ethic than Clowney has shown. Probably the best young LB in the NFL.

As to Wentz, after watching some of the combine, and trying to see some film, I haven't seen anything that shows me he will step in from week 1 and be a good starter. Goff, maybe, because he seems to be in hyper mode a lot and quickly go through progressions. But both QBs are a risk to me, that could turn out to be a good reward. I think comparing Wentz to Alex Smith is a blessing and curse. Yes, Alex throws the ball very accurately, and is surprisingly athletic and mobile. But he's also often criticized, and on throws beyond 20 yards his amazing accuracy drops off quickly. I haven't seen enough of Wentz to see if he can throw accurate deep, which is one of two key factors when evaluating a QB to me (the other is fitting throws into really tight spaces, what Smith for example does better than anyone). The thought that Wentz may be the next Andrew Luck is wishful thinking. Yes, I realize Alex has been maybe above average in the NFL so far, but he's also been banged up and had to carry his team. Having said all that, Smith took a good 6 years to get to true starting NFL QB form, and he was taken #1 overall. Luck was too, and so far has barely touched his full potential many think.

My gut tells me the Browns will take Wentz, plan to sit him until McCown gets hurt, and hope for the best. I'd be really surprised if the 49ers then pass on Goff (who is out of Cal), especially if they think Kaep is done. Goff could fit into a Chip Kelly speed game well. But sitting behind Gabbart for maybe the entire season or longer would be needed.

Back to 40 times. Keith Marshall out of Georgia clocked a wicked 4.31. Not that it means a great deal Wentz actually ran in 4.77.

Ezekiel Elliott appears to have had a great combine, and with the way Todd Gurly made a good rookie splash, and Eliot maybe cut from a similar cloth, I expect him to go in the first round as well. In a bit of a surprise Cal RB Daniel Lasco had the longest broad jump at 11 feet, 3 inches, and the best vertical jump at 41½ inches.

 

[jmdirt]

Re:

They don't call it the four letter network for nothing.

As to the whole "physical specimen" thought, keep in mind that Jadeveon Clowney was an athletic beast coming out of college, expected to make a huge impact immediately in the NFL. So far he's either been hurt, or mediocre, playing for Houston. Often not even starting. Kalil Mack was taken a few spots below him, was thought to be a potential impact player, and he turned out to have much more drive, leadership and work ethic than Clowney has shown. Probably the best young LB in the NFL.

As to Wentz, after watching some of the combine, and trying to see some film, I haven't seen anything that shows me he will step in from week 1 and be a good starter. Goff, maybe, because he seems to be in hyper mode a lot and quickly go through progressions. But both QBs are a risk to me, that could turn out to be a good reward. I think comparing Wentz to Alex Smith is a blessing and curse. Yes, Alex throws the ball very accurately, and is surprisingly athletic and mobile. But he's also often criticized, and on throws beyond 20 yards his amazing accuracy drops off quickly. I haven't seen enough of Wentz to see if he can throw accurate deep, which is one of two key factors when evaluating a QB to me (the other is fitting throws into really tight spaces, what Smith for example does better than anyone). The thought that Wentz may be the next Andrew Luck is wishful thinking. Yes, I realize Alex has been maybe above average in the NFL so far, but he's also been banged up and had to carry his team. Having said all that, Smith took a good 6 years to get to true starting NFL QB form, and he was taken #1 overall. Luck was too, and so far has barely touched his full potential many think.

My gut tells me the Browns will take Wentz, plan to sit him until McCown gets hurt, and hope for the best. I'd be really surprised if the 49ers then pass on Goff (who is out of Cal), especially if they think Kaep is done. Goff could fit into a Chip Kelly speed game well. But sitting behind Gabbart for maybe the entire season or longer would be needed.

Back to 40 times. Keith Marshall out of Georgia clocked a wicked 4.31. Not that it means a great deal Wentz actually ran in 4.77.

Ezekiel Elliott appears to have had a great combine, and with the way Todd Gurly made a good rookie splash, and Eliot maybe cut from a similar cloth, I expect him to go in the first round as well. In a bit of a surprise Cal RB Daniel Lasco had the longest broad jump at 11 feet, 3 inches, and the best vertical jump at 41½ inches.

Where do you think Henry will go in the draft? Elliott will likely go before him, but I think that in 2020, we will be talking about Henry and not Elliot.

4.31 is movin'!

Daryn Colledge was talking about "runway day" where the combine participants are paraded across the stage to be weighed and measured. He said that the skill guys were doing push ups and squats trying to look as ripped as possible, while the O lone guys were eating the food off of the media table.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

They don't call it the four letter network for nothing.

As to the whole "physical specimen" thought, keep in mind that Jadeveon Clowney was an athletic beast coming out of college, expected to make a huge impact immediately in the NFL. So far he's either been hurt, or mediocre, playing for Houston. Often not even starting. Kalil Mack was taken a few spots below him, was thought to be a potential impact player, and he turned out to have much more drive, leadership and work ethic than Clowney has shown. Probably the best young LB in the NFL.

As to Wentz, after watching some of the combine, and trying to see some film, I haven't seen anything that shows me he will step in from week 1 and be a good starter. Goff, maybe, because he seems to be in hyper mode a lot and quickly go through progressions. But both QBs are a risk to me, that could turn out to be a good reward. I think comparing Wentz to Alex Smith is a blessing and curse. Yes, Alex throws the ball very accurately, and is surprisingly athletic and mobile. But he's also often criticized, and on throws beyond 20 yards his amazing accuracy drops off quickly. I haven't seen enough of Wentz to see if he can throw accurate deep, which is one of two key factors when evaluating a QB to me (the other is fitting throws into really tight spaces, what Smith for example does better than anyone). The thought that Wentz may be the next Andrew Luck is wishful thinking. Yes, I realize Alex has been maybe above average in the NFL so far, but he's also been banged up and had to carry his team. Having said all that, Smith took a good 6 years to get to true starting NFL QB form, and he was taken #1 overall. Luck was too, and so far has barely touched his full potential many think.

My gut tells me the Browns will take Wentz, plan to sit him until McCown gets hurt, and hope for the best. I'd be really surprised if the 49ers then pass on Goff (who is out of Cal), especially if they think Kaep is done. Goff could fit into a Chip Kelly speed game well. But sitting behind Gabbart for maybe the entire season or longer would be needed.

Back to 40 times. Keith Marshall out of Georgia clocked a wicked 4.31. Not that it means a great deal Wentz actually ran in 4.77.

Ezekiel Elliott appears to have had a great combine, and with the way Todd Gurly made a good rookie splash, and Eliot maybe cut from a similar cloth, I expect him to go in the first round as well. In a bit of a surprise Cal RB Daniel Lasco had the longest broad jump at 11 feet, 3 inches, and the best vertical jump at 41½ inches.

Many people seem to think that this draft will be dominated by defensive players and the quality is good. Even if the 49ers want a QB and I agree that they will, I don't think it will be their first pick and many commentators are in in two minds it seems about Goff and the QB quality in general. The Cowboys are expected to go for defense in the first round and the Browns seem to have lost interest in Goff but of course there are conflicting articles being written every day.

I think Kaep is gone one way or the other from the 49ers but who will take him on could be problematic. San Diego could look for a wide receiver as their first round pick because I think I heard that their number one WR is injured. Baltimore could also go for a WR.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Ouch!
OfCincinnati QB's Wentz looks the part and think he will do well in the NFL if he goes to a good organization. The thing that made him stand out to me was his accuracy compared to the others. Browns may be interested, and maybe the new HC, who I respect as a coach, can make it work overall and for Wentz should he go there. Goff is good and would be my second ranked QB.

Wait, you started out by saying "...if he goes to a good organization." but then talked about him going to the Browns..

Based on history, true that a good org & Browns is an oxymoron. But here is what I meant by bringing the Browns and new Browns HC Hugh Jackson into the discussion. Jackson was a superb OC at Cincinnati. Before that, he did a good job in Oakland by lifting them from despair to an 8-8 record the year Al Davis died, for which he was undeservingly fired. This offseason, Jackson was probably the best HC option available. So if the Browns front office and owner let him do his job the Browns can really improve. Who knows? They might even become known as a good org. But they have some work and proving to do before they will earn that label.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

http://m.bleacherreport.com/article...ance-the-worst-offensive-draft-class-in-years
good Bleacher article above on a smorgasbord of NFL topics, including the poor offensive draft class, trading down, Colin Kaep, Tebow, & more.

 

[52520Andrew]

Very deep defensive line draft this year. I like a few of the CBs and LBs as well(very strong overall defensive draft) but the defensive line in particular looks very good.

 

[Merckx index]

Brady back in court, and even the author of this story, who clearly thinks Brady is innocent, realizes his suspension is possible:

While a slew of scientists have weighed in with their opinion in support of Brady, using scientific experiments to show that time and weather, not a locker room attendant with a needle inside a bathroom, most likely led to varied air pressure measurements, two of the Court of Appeals judges, Denny Chin and Barrington Parker Jr., seemed less sympathetic and repeated many of the NFL's facts and arguments of the case, including ones that have been scientifically debunked.

They haven’t been scientifically debunked, they have just been shown not to be certain beyond a reasonable doubt. This is not about publishing a scientific paper, this is about preponderance of evidence.

"The evidence of ball tampering is compelling if not overwhelming," Chin said, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.

It got worse for Brady. There were questions about Brady destroying his cell phone, which his camp has long argued was moot because NFL investigators told them they didn't physically need it. "Brady's explanation made no sense," Judge Parker said, according to reports. "They weren't credible."

There were questions about gifts given by Brady to locker-room attendants being inducements (presumably to help with the deflation process), even though that has been common practice across all professional sports for generations.

There was even questioning on NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's claim that Brady and equipment manager Jon Jastremski never discussed the controversy swirling around them as the scandal broke in the days after the game. That was something Goodell found so preposterous – how could you not discuss it? – that he believed Brady was lying.

The problem was Brady's testimony showed he said on five different occasions that he and Jastremski did discuss the growing controversy. Goodell's complete misrepresentation of Brady's testimony was one of the more troubling aspects of the case. Apparently the judges didn't review the actual testimony or they just discounted it. Who knows?

While none of this may influence the actual decision – again this is about the rights of an arbiter (in this case Goodell) and not whether footballs were actually deflated – for Brady it's a blow to the public relations campaign of his innocence.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/deflate-gate--a-tom-brady-suspension-is-back-on-the-table-222215947.html

Meanwhile, the Manning sexual harassment story has a new twist. After all these years when it was presumed there was only witness in the room besides Manning and Naughright, another guy pops up, and claims he saw it too. And claims all Manning did was very briefly pull his pants down, and that Naughright didn’t seem too upset.

Where was this guy when all these lawsuits were flying? Apparently overseas on military duty, unaware of the case.
Does his testimony make Manning look better? Maybe, but from his own description of what happened, Manning’s butt was practically in Naughright’s face, anyway.

Malcolm Saxon, the other witness who actually did testify, was reached for comment, but refused to say any more. On balance, it seems likely that there was no physical contact, since even Naughright didn’t allege that until years later, during the lawsuit over the book passage.

And while many witnesses testified that Naughright always acted professionally, dirt on her is starting to emerge:

Key to Naughright’s 2003 complaint were assertions and various depositions which efforted to refute the assertions of Manning and others that Naughright’s vulgarity blurred the line of what was acceptable behavior in her presence. Several student athletes deposed for the suit stated they had never observed Naughright behave unprofessionally during her time at UT. From the suburbs of Atlanta to the Knoxville metro area, many former associates contacted by The MMQB declined to comment on Naughright’s professional demeanor. But Michael Kohl, a member of the athletic training staff from 1995 to ’96 as an undergraduate student, said: “I’ve been listening to these talk radio shows and just biting my tongue.”

“She would often say things that would surprise you, made you feel uncomfortable,” Kohl says.

Barbara McNeely, who worked at the UT-Knoxville Student Health Clinic as the nursing supervisor during Naughright’s time there, described her dealings with Naughright as “rude and crude.” McNeely says Naughright included the nickname “Bumper” when introducing herself. McNeely continued: “She’d say, ‘People call me Bumper because I have such big t---,’ and then she’d grab them and shake them.” In her 1996 complaint against the university, Naughright cited the unwelcome use of that nickname by Tennessee players and staff as one of the instances of harassment that contributed to a discriminatory work environment.

“I’m not too worried about speaking with [The MMQB],” McNeely says, “because after twenty years of maligning the Mannings, it is time for someone to have the courage to tell the truth about Naughright. If you ask anyone who dealt with her at that time, you will probably hear the same thing. It’s just a shame what she’s done to Peyton.”

Given the opportunity to respond to each of these claims, one by one, Naughright declined.

A week before the Super Bowl, a voicemail was left at the home of Peyton Manning’s parents, Archie and Olivia Manning, by a woman identifying herself as Jamie Naughright. In the recording, which was played for The MMQB, the woman uses coarse and offensive language, some of it sexual in nature, to describe members of the Manning family and threatens to “release all these documents” related to Manning.

The content and language of the Manning voicemail was similar to that used by a woman claiming to be Naughright who for years phoned the sports desk at the Knoxville News Sentinel with accusations regarding Peyton Manning and Philip Fulmer and assertions that the newspaper had failed to adequately cover the training-room incident. John Adams, a columnist for the newspaper, wrote a story outlining the content and frequency of those calls…

“It was the most vulgar wording imaginable,” he says of the language used by the caller. “You know, newsroom guys don’t shrink from foul language, but this was just over the top. It was mainly about Manning and our failure to uncover the story, while in fact we covered this thing extensively when it happened.”

And she’s also being painted as someone making a living out of lawsuits:

In 2010 Naughright filed a lawsuit in New York State against the fashion designer Donna Karan after allegedly suffering injury during physical therapy with a trainer whom Karan had recommended. That suit was dismissed. The same year Naughright filed suit in Florida against a Lakeland restaurant and catering company, Deli Delicacies, claiming physical injuries as the result of slip outside the store.

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/03/01/peyton-manning-jamie-naughright-1996-incident-greg-johnson-voicemail

This writer thinks both Kaepernick and RGIII will not last much longer in the NFL. Here’s why he thinks Kaep doesn’t fit Kelly’s system:

[Kelly’s] system [is] built on quick decision-making, which is far from Kaepernick’s forte. Kaepernick is slow to process coverages (when he processes them at all) and doesn’t have a great feel for moving around in the pocket. Kaepernick can be hard to catch when he runs around, but too many of his run-around plays are fruitless because they never should have been run-around plays to start.

Part B of Kaepernick’s issues is that he has an elongated throwing motion. This isn’t necessarily the worst thing. After all, no one can argue that as a pure arm talent, Kaepernick, when he’s mechanically sound and decisive (which is not often enough), is as impressive as almost anyone in the league. But elongated motions jibe with slower-developing downfield plays, not with the quick-hitting, snap decision-making that Kelly’s scheme demands.

Unless his advisors are complete morons, Kaepernick’s only rationale for wanting out of the rare offense that caters to his mobility is if he believes he won’t be the one running that offense come September. Kaepernick’s camp is reading San Francisco’s writing on the wall.

And on Griffin:

It’s [on third down plays] where Griffin’s shortcomings really show up. Too often when he moves in the pocket, he covers too much ground, compromising his readiness to throw. This also hurts the pass protection, as the exaggerated movement can put him closer to pass rushers who wouldn’t have been factors. And it lengthens the time it takes to wind up and release the ball.

Adding to Griffin’s physical lack of pocket subtlety and nuance is his limited comprehension of how routes relate to certain coverages. Time and again in 2014, Griffin failed to identify some of football’s most basic route combinations. There were even cases of his defined reads—that is, plays that present just one obvious place for the ball to go—being ignored. Head coach Jay Gruden or offensive coordinator Sean McVay would call a pass and have no idea whether it would be executed correctly. Worse, neither would the receivers. How can you coach a dangerous but frankly emotionally unpredictable guy like DeSean Jackson if he’s getting open but not seeing the ball?

Griffin, with his limited understanding of coverage-and-route relationships, never had an opportunity to develop any anticipation. And if you can’t develop it on your own, you can’t develop it at all. Most coaches agree: anticipation is one of the few quarterbacking traits that cannot be taught.

Most the hits he took had a double-dip return: one from the hit itself, the other from when his body splattered to the ground. Griffin doesn’t have Cam Newton’s size or Russell Wilson’s compactness. He’s a gangly, exposed runner. This realization was the coup de grace to his NFL career.

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/03/02/colin-kaepernick-robert-griffin-rg3-trade-future