Now that nine of the first 10 picks in the 2011 NFL Draft are signed, it's interesting to see the impact of the new rookie wage scale.

First overall pick Cam Newton received a fully guaranteed $22 million contract from the Panthers Friday. The first eight picks of the 2010 NFL Draft received more guaranteed money than Newton. The first pick in 2010, quarterback Sam Bradford, received a whopping $28 million more than Newton in guaranteemoney.

Of course, Newton is more of a victim of timing than anything else. After all, it's not like he would have been picked as highly if he entered the 2010 draft out of Blinn College.

On the flip side, Bradford's $78 million contract is likely more than the combined contracts for picks six through 10 in total dollars. That's only likely because terms for seventh pick Aldon Smith haven't been disclosed.

Continue reading this post »

With the NFL lockout coming to an end soon, undrafted players from the 2011 NFL Draft will finally be able to sign with teams. This weekend we'll continue to look at some of the top available players your team may be considering.

If a team still needs a young nose tackle, there are a few still available. The market for pass rushers, though, is pretty dry.

Steven Friday | 6'4, 250 pounds | DE | Virginia Tech
Friday is a bit of a mystery as an NFL player. He's too small to play the run in the 4-3, but not athletic enough to be a 3-4 OLB. He may have to carve out a career purely as a 4-3 pass rush specialist.

Anthony Gray | 5'11, 330 pounds | DT | Southern Mississippi
A squat, bowling ball of a defensive tackle who doesn't have good length for the position. Will fit best as a nose taking up multiple blockers in the run game.

Continue reading this post »

With the NFL lockout coming to an end soon, undrafted players from the 2011 NFL Draft will finally be able to sign with teams. This weekend we'll continue to look at some of the top available players your team may be considering.

Tim Barnes | 6'4, 310 pounds | C | Missouri
Barnes is purely a phone booth blocker in a power scheme. While that limits his versatility some, he has the power base to anchor in the middle at the NFL level.

Kristofer O'Dowd | 6'5, 300 pounds | C | Southern California
Despite several serious injuries, O'Dowd showed at USC that he's an athletic blocker. He could be really good in a zone scheme where he can move around more.

Continue reading this post »

With the NFL lockout coming to an end soon, undrafted players from the 2011 NFL Draft will finally be able to sign with teams. This weekend we'll continue to look at some of the top available players your team may be considering.

Wide receivers typically have a hard time making a difference as undrafted rookies. This year's group, though, has a lot of size and talent. In a couple instances, some of these players even have gifted athleticism.

DeAndre Brown | 6'6, 231 pounds | Southern Mississippi
Few players look the part better than Brown. At the beginning of his college football career, he looked like one of the best players in the nation. But injuries and issues about his attitude and effort caused him to go undrafted. His potential, though, is incredible.

Tori Gurley | 6'4, 230 pounds | South Carolina
A large-sized slot receiver who lacks speed and has to utilize his size to get open. Gets off the line well because he can handle the jam. Strong after the catch.

Ricardo Lockette | 6'2, 211 pounds | Fort Valley State
If an NFL team is looking for a return man to make an impact immediately, Lockette could be a find. He's still learning as a wide receiver, but with his speed he'll find a spot on a roster.

Continue reading this post »

According to a report from Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN, the end of the lockout is near.

The report states a deal could be done by July 21 lifting the summer-long lockout. In a structured timeline, undrafted rookie free agents could begin signing on July 25. ESPN reports that the date has not been agreed upon. Another date not agreed upon is the close of rookie free agent signings, which is expected to be Aug. 12.

Other timeline notes: Free agents can re-sign with their teams beginning July 25. The league year is scheduled to begin on July 28 and free agency opens league-wide. Read the full story here.

After the jump, check out the top 25 undrafted free agents.

Continue reading this post »

New York Jets third-round pick Kenrick Ellis could get deported if he's convicted of aggravated felony, ESPN New York reports.

Ellis is a permanent resident of the U.S. but a native of Jamaica.

Ellis was supposed to stand trial Tuesday on assault charges, but it was delayed until Nov. 28. As Rich Cimini reports, the trial wouldn't take place during the NFL season, so it would come sometime after the season is over.

Continue reading this post »

No, this isn't a pop quiz. The NFL, in conjunction with USA Football, put out a great release today loaded with facts and numbers about the 2011 draft. Here are some good ones:

3 - That's the number of players who went to Colton High School in California who were drafted. That would be cornerback Jimmy Smith (Round 1, Baltimore), cornerback Shareece Wright (Round 3, San Diego) and running back Allen Bradford (Round 6, Tampa Bay).

4 - Four high schools were tied with the most first-round picks with three. That would be Alabama (Marcell Dareus, Nick Fairley, Julio Jones), Florida (Corey Liuget. Patrick Peterson, Mike Pouncey), Georgia (James Carpenter, Cameron Heyward, Cam Newton) and Missouri (Adrian Clayborn, Blaine Gabber and Aldon Smith).

Continue reading this post »

In a question and answer with readers, San Diego Union-Tribune beat writer Kevin Acee says that second-round pick Da'Quan Bowers is already "done."

Bowers fell to the Buccaneers in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft due to concerns about his injured knee.

Acee, who writes about the Chargers, passed along some information he received from NFL teams.

Continue reading this post »