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Pro Sports Wrap - Sports Personality of the Day:Tony Romo

Bo Harris Player Profile

December 10th 2011 15:25
Bo Harris was a left outside linebacker who played with the Cincinnati Bengals for eight seasons from 1975-1982. A third rounder out of LSU, Harris would wear the No. 53 and would be worth 44 AV during his entire career. Pro-Football Reference's similarity score says that Harris's career was similar to current linebackers Karlos Dansby and D.J. Williams.


After a poor rookie year in which Harris didn't really have much of a chance to play, he had the best season of his career as a sophomore in the NFL. He was worth 10 AV and picked off two passes while also recovering two fumbles and fumbling once on his own. The net return yardage on those four turnovers was -5, and he had 13 fumble return yards on five fumble recoveries in his career (2.6 yards per fumble return).

A season later, Bo Harris also played in 14 games and picked off two passes. Although he did nothing else, he still had a decent season. 1978 was a year to forget for Harris, as he played in only half of the team's games, was worth just 1 AV (tied for his career low as a rookie in 1975), and the only thing he did was recover a fumble.

In 1979, Harris got back on track and played in 15 games, setting a career high at the time. He didn't do much that year and was mediocre overall, and the same can be said about his 1980 season. However, Harris did get on the stat sheet that year with two fumble recoveries for a career-high 15 yards.In 1981, Harris played in 16 games; the most in his career. He started in all of them, picked off two more passes, and he had 92 total interception return yardage due to a 49 yard return. He was worth 8 AV, after being worth 5 or less for the previous three seasons.


1982 was the last season of Bo Harris's career, but it was a solid one in the nine games he played and started in. Harris had one interception, but the important thing is that he returned it 62 yards for the only touchdown of his career. He also had two sacks in the first year that this statistic was recorded, so it was a solid 29-year-old, final-season campaign for Harris.

Bo Harris finished off his career with 103 total games appeared in to go with seven picks for 168 total yards returned on those INTs. He was a slightly above-average LOLB who had a key interception in a Wild Card game in 1982 against the Buffalo Bills. Harris would return it for 16 yards in a narrow 28-21 victory at the age of 28 (his second-to-last season).
Bo Harris
8-year LB with Bengals
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After the Thanksgiving games have been played, it is now appropriate to start conjuring up early end of season award musings. With the MVP award all but given to Aaron Rodgers, I want to talk about the Rookie of the Year award. So far this season, there have been a handful of rookies playing at a high level, and this draft yielded some studs in the making. However, one of those guys is already a stud and stands out above the rest.

This special rookie's name isn't Cam Newton. The Panthers' quarterback does have a lot of hype surrounding him, but he takes a back seat to the less-heralded Von Miller. The Broncos outside linebacker was No. 2 to Newton's No. 1 in the draft, but that order should be reversed when talking about who is the better player. Newton may be a very mobile quarterback with a cannon of an arm, but he doesn't quite measure up to Von Miller.

Coming out of college, Miller was known as a gifted pass rusher who would translate seamlessly to the NFL level. That has all been proven true, but many people thought that he was just a pass rusher. Those people were proven wrong, as Miller has been lighting it up in run defense. He has already blossomed into one of the best pass rushers in the game, but his stout work in run defense has been overlooked but equally as important. Miller has been one of the best players this season- not just rookies- and has been one of the best ten outside linebackers this season. Newton has been great and all, but he's starting to come back to earth with some rather poor decision making. Right now, Miller has simply dominated the guys he has faced, just ask helpless Jets tackle Wayne Hunter what went down last week on Thursday.

Everybody now knows that Ndamukong Suh pulled a Wayne Rooney and literally stomped an offensive lineman on the Green Bay Packers in yesterday's loss. Suh gave strange explanation about his side of what transpired, and he will almost certainly be suspended because of his actions. I am more interested in talking about Suh as a player, his flaws, and the obvious strengths.

Ndamukong Suh is one of the strongest players in the NFL, and he has the uncanny ability to just bulldoze offensive lineman. Suh is also explosive and can blow by lineman from the snap. However, this aggression backfires more often than not in run defense, and this makes him an extremely inconsistent player against the run. He can make huge stops, but he mostly ends up nowhere near the play or causing a huge hole where he once was. Therefore, Suh is actually a subpar player against the run.

However, the strength/explosiveness of Suh also makes him a dangerous pass rusher who murders quarterbacks. He's one of those guys who can turn pressures into sacks, and he has the ability to take over the game against a poor interior (the Panthers game).

Because Suh is poor against the run, he is a "good" but not "great" player. With more experience and development, Suh will certainly improve his run-stopping ability and become great; bank on it. But for now, he is just a "good" defensive tackle. Suh is overrated, while some of his teammates on the line are very underrated because of his hype.

Cliff Avril is one of the better pass rushers in the NFL and is one of the more athletic ends in the league. Backup Willie Young has emerged as a solid player in limited snaps this season, and rookie Nick Fairley has been explosive when he has played. Defensive tackle Sammie Lee Hill is a force in the interior, but it is best if he receives a limited amount of snaps in a rotational role due to his lack of endurance. Veteran tackle Corey Williams is underrated and is one of the best in the game. You really should watch what he did in Week 5 against the 49ers, it was incredible and showed Williams at his pass-rushing best. And hey, he blows up running lanes pretty well too. In fact, he is just as good- maybe even a hair better- than Suh. Aging defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch is overrated and on his last legs, but he is still about an average player on the best defensive line in the NFL.
Von Miller
Formerly known as "The Joker"

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11/2011 Player Profile: Brandon Flowers

November 13th 2011 14:49
In my piece yesterday, I ranked the top 50 corners in the NFL. Kansas City Chiefs star Brandon Flowers with fifth on the list, and the 5'9 corner proves that you don't need height to be a successful player in this league. In fact, he matched up pretty well against Vincent Jackson in their last faceoff; V-Jax is one of the taller corners in the NFL. However, he did give up two touchdowns against Calvin Johnson, despite actually holding his own and playing well overall. Guys, please don't confuse him with the lead singer of the Killers who has the same exact name.

Among all cornerbacks this season, Brandon Flowers has the most passes defended with 15 break-ups. He also has four interceptions, although picks aren't really a good true evaluator of a corner. But it still shows us that he is capable of making plays in the secondary.

Despite his size, Flowers has proven to be one of the most physical corners in the game to make up for his lack of height (much like Panthers receiver Steve Smith). Teams did target Flowers more often than most shutdown corners in 2010, but he still only allows a little over half of them to end up as completions. An even more impressive fact is that Flowers gave up the lowest YAC/catch in 2010; a testament to his fluid tackling and great overall play. Although he is one of the best corners in run support, not many people discuss his prowess in this facet of the game as much as they should. There are players like Asante Samuel (thanks to awful technique)- as great as they may be in coverage- who can't tackle and can't play the run well.

Commonly referred to as the "Brandons", Flowers and the ever undervalued Brandon Carr (32nd in my rankings, and the arrow is pointing upwards) make up one of the better cornerback duos in the NFL. This season, quarterbacks have begun to respect him more and haven't targeted him quite as much. But those 15 tips and four picks show us that Flowers is a more than capable playmaker in the secondary.

The physicality that scouts rave about is on display when you take a look at his YAC per catch allowed, and the fact that he missed only one tackle in 2010. Per the Pro Football Focus, he had the best attempts to missed tackles ratio in the NFL that season. Yeah, he was even better than Champ Bailey (2nd on the list, but slightly better in PFF's coverage grades).

At the beginning of 2010, Brandon Flowers was referred to by some as "Revis Island 2.0", but he did tail off in the second half of the season. However, the "decline" in 2010 was mainly just regression, as he was still effective down the stretch for the Chiefs. Although Flowers was embarrassed against the Colts by Curtis Painter and Pierre Garcon, he has still been playing at a very high level this season. There is no doubt that he is one of the premier shutdown corners in the game, and the scary thing for number one wideouts is that he will only continue to improve.
Brandon Flowers
I Shut Em Down


Source:
www.profootballfocus.com
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11/2011 Cornerback Rankings

November 12th 2011 15:43
1. Darrelle Revis- Revis is easily the best cornerback in the NFL right now, and he breaks up almost as many passes as receptions allowed.

2. Nnamdi Asomugha- Despite a poor 2011, I still believe in his ability as a pure cover guy. However, Nnamdi is awful in run support and can't tackle.

3. Champ Bailey- I bet this guy could still be a premier cover corner into his late 30's.

4. Tramon Williams- He was so beast last season that only a "decent" 2011 doesn't detract from how great he was in coverage in 2010.

5. Brandon Flowers- Flowers shows us that you don't need height to be an elite corner.

6. Charles Woodson- Has had a poor season this year against the run and as a pass rusher, but he's starting to come around. Woodson is still playing solid- as always- in coverage.

7. Ike Taylor- Only Darrelle Revis has been better in coverage statistically, but stats don't tell the whole story. However, this physical corner has still been very good in 2011.

8. Asante Samuel- Samuel can't play the run or tackle at all, but he is still a top corner in this league.

9. Antoine Winfield- He can do it all, and his top ten ranking is a result from some really good pass rushing- for a corner- and run stopping.

10. Jonathan Joseph- Joseph was one of the best free agent signings, and he is having a shutdown year and playing at the high level he did in 2009.

11. Carlos Rogers- Have you seen him this year? The best signing of 2011.

12. Leon Hall- I miss it when he and Joseph ruled the world in 2009.

13. Jabari Greer- When will he ever have an injury-free season?

14. Joe Haden- Haden is proving that he was the better rookie from last year's class.

15. Brent Grimes- You don't need to be tall to be an effective corner.

16. Charles Tillman- But this guy disagrees.

17. Chris Gamble- Has been one of the best corners this season.

18. Devin McCourty- I'm going to patiently wait for a bounce-back, but he won't move into the top 15 until he shows he can be consistently good beyond his rookie year.

19. Antonio Cromartie- He gets beat, but he's still a good corner.

20. Cortland Finnegan- He's starting to turn it up again this season.

21. Vontae Davis- He's having a down year, and this is the reason why he isn't in the top 20. But look for him to start climbing up in the future and possibly getting into the top ten one day.

22. Josh Wilson- Wilson was a terrific signing for the Washington Redskins, even though he has been a little bit disappointing this season after a really good year that went under the radar in 2010 with the Ravens.

23. Corey Webster- I miss his 2008 greatness, but he's still a solid player.

24. Aqib Talib- A great talent when he is at his best, but that's usually tough to come by.

25. Chris Houston- He's having a a breakout year and is one of the main reasons why the Lions are where they are at.

26. Ladarius Webb- Has taken the place of Wilson to become the Ravens best corner.

27. Alterraun Verner- Makes up one of the best trios in the NFL with Finnegan and Jason McCourty, and Verner is a 2010 rookie corner who is largely overshadowed by Haden and McCourty.

28. Captain Munnerlyn- Underrated speed demon who can definitely hold down the fort.

29. Chris Culliver- An extremely underrated rookie corner who combines with Rogers to make one of the better cornerback duos in the league.

30. Stanford Routt- Nnamdi's replacement is overpaid but is still decent.

31. Seth Smith- He is in the midst of an awful year, but Smith is still one of the better corners in the league.

32. Brandon Carr- Might be a little low, but it's because he doesn't really blow me away and is more of a solid player.

33. Chris Carr- Another solid corner who needs some more playing time.

34. Quentin Jammer- Physical corner who has been a little disappointing this year, but not as much as last year's breakout Antoine Cason.

35. Ron Bartell- Easily the best cornerback on the Rams roster.

36. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie- Loads of talent, but really nothing to show for it because he plays like he doesn't care.

37. Sheldon Brown- Doesn't give up many catches, but they end up being big plays when he does.

38. Leigh Bodden- I will never get why the Patriots released him, because he's an underrated player who is one of the best players in zone coverage; he was in the midst of a solid season amidst poor play from most of the other corners (McCourty).

39. Jason McCourty- Don't sleep on the "other" McCourty.

39. Terrence McGee- It's sad to see a perennially underrated corner going on the decline "thanks" to age and injury.

40. Sam Shields- He really impressed me last season and is one of the better slot corners in the league.

41. Patrick Robinson- Watch for him to shoot up the rankings soon, but I'm not totally sold on him yet.

42. Richard Marshall- He doesn't give up that many catches, but- despite his speed- gets a burned way too much.

43. Chris Cook- The off the field trouble mars some talent that isn't talked about quite enough.

44. Tracy Porter- Everybody remembers him for being a Super Bowl hero, but he has been struggling of late. However, Porter is still a decent corner who can make plays when needed.

45. Mike Jenkins- Jenkins is one of the most talented corners in the league, but he gets burned a lot.

46. Richard Sherman- I'm really starting to believe in this rookie, and he is an underrated player who is easily the Seahawks best corner.

47. Rashean Mathis- The veteran has really improved from an awful 2010 season.

48. Antoine Cason- I really can't take him seriously after what has happened this season, but he is another guy who is primed to move on up.

49. Nate Clements- Plays the run as well as any corner in the league, and he isn't terrible in coverage either.

50. Derek Cox- He has the potential to really shoot up this list with some more improved play.
Corey Webster
His 2008 season was a wonder to behold
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The brother of the second greatest tight end in NFL history- who was also recently inducted into the Hall of Fame, Sterling Sharpe was a talented NFL player in his own right. The wide receiver who was a first rounder out of South Carolina led the league in receptions three times during his brief career. Had he not suffered that neck/spinal injury, Sharpe would undoubtely be a Hall of Famer. As far as talent goes, Sterling Sharpe is one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history.

Over a seven year career, the Packers lifer was a four time Pro Bowler and three time 1st Team All-Pro. In '92, his 108 receptions broke the previous record for a single-season receptions total set by Art Monk. However, a year later, Sharpe bested that by recording 112 catches. In '92, Sharpe's career-high 1,461 receiving yards led the NFL (first time in his career). In fact, Sharpe won the Triple Crown of Receiving in 1992 as he also led the league with 13 touchdown receptions. The only player since then to accomplish this defeat was Steve Smith in his legendary 2005 season. Smith is like Sharpe, in that he is one of the most talented receivers of all-time; but he may never make it to the Hall of Fame


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10/18 NFL Rumors: Carson Palmer Traded

October 18th 2011 19:00
What the Raiders did is perplexing to me, but it was the only way to get a starting quarterback. Look, I don't think any team wants to start Kyle Boller right now, and the Raiders were out of options. Everybody knew they had to overpay, but a first rounder is far too much for a below-average quarterback. Palmer isn't that bad, but Jason Campbell might actually be better. It was sad to see Campbell go down like that, as he was playing some damn good football this season. He really broke out as a game manager and remains one of my favorite players since his days with the 'Skins.

No matter how much I hate Mike Brown, now was a good time for him to let Carson Palmer continue his NFL career and move on with Andy Dalton. Even though it hurts his already dirt-low stature for being a pushover from his initial refusals to trade Palmer, he finally did something for the good of the team. I have always been highly critical of Brown, but this was actually a nice move. For the Raiders, it was necessary, as they are a team that can contend for a playoff spot. It's always good to see teams trying to make that push by adding guys at the deadline, much like teams do in baseball


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9/2011 WR Rankings

September 24th 2011 13:50
1. Larry Fitzgerald
2. Andre Johnson
3. Calvin Johnson


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2011 NFL Kick-off preview

September 7th 2011 16:40
As I sit here in my comfortable abode on an all too crappy netbook typing this post out while blaring Tool, my mind is busy contemplating the rigorous ahead of us (NFL fans). The parity in the NFL makes predicting a difficult task, but I do know one thing for sure; this is going to be one hell of a season. Don't believe me? Well, why don't you just take a look at the season's first game between the Packers and Saints? I don't need to tell you how great these two teams are, and just how great these two teams will be in February. Oh wait...this is the NFL, where crazy happens.

The Eagles, Falcons, Saints, and Packers are the NFC's undisputed Big Four heading into the season. They have very little questions surrounding their teams, and these are the guys who you put your sports' dignity on the line when you make your predictions. But with a full season looming ahead, injuries, poor execution, and the usual unexpected twists and turns that happen during 16 weeks of football will make the guessing game an even more difficult affair. For now, I'll just stick to one game and break down how I think things will end up between the Packers and Saints
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8/2011 QB Rankings

August 24th 2011 14:50
1. Aaron Rodgers
2. Peyton Manning
3. Tom Brady


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8/22 Football Talk: Start Cam Newton

August 22nd 2011 14:51
There is no reason why this should be a quarterback competition at all. It's pretty clear to me that Jimmy Clausen doesn't have much of a future in the NFL. It is probably extremely harsh of me to say such a thing, but Clausen was beyond awful last season. Not only was he incapable of completing a pass, but he was also failed to make good decisions and was the worst quarterback in the league last year. Newly signed backup Derek Anderson is almost as bad, and his personality doesn't make him a good mentor either. I understand that his one big season came under current Panthers' offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski, but there's also no reason for me to believe that he can come anywhere close to repeating that kind of success.

What I'm getting at here is that Cam Newton is clearly this team's starting quarterback. You don't draft a QB at number one for no reason. If you spend the first pick in the draft on a quarterback, you are essentially saying that you have nobody on this roster who is capable of taking the reigns; well, that statement was totally true before Carolina picked up Newton


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8/18 NFL Rumors: Aaron Maybin signs

August 18th 2011 15:04
This post will talk about the top rumors and bits of news of the week. Michael Vick told GQ that he didn't want to sign with the Eagles, because he didn't want to be a third stringer behind McNabb and Kolb. Both of those guys have since been traded, and Vick has become one of the best ten QBs in the league. He wanted to sign with the Bills or Bengals, but Roger Goodell told Vick that the Eagles were the best team to choose. Good thing Vick followed the commish's advice, otherwise there would be no Super Bowl talk for the Eagles.

While Vick did have a great year in 2010, he was fairly mediocre towards the end of the season thanks to disguise blitz packages that confused Vick. He especially struggled against the Vikings, and he had a ton of trouble recognizing cornerback blitzes involving Antoine Winfield. This year, he has arguably the league's best possession receiver in Steve Smith, and the additions of Danny Watkins and Ryan Harris will bolster a line that was very poor last year. Harris is one of the most athletic linemen in the league, and he was one of the best tackles out there under Mike Shanahan's zone blocking scheme. He's recently struggled with injuries, and the man blocking scheme employed by the Broncos last year did not suit Harris's skillset. Since Vick is a lefty, Harris is his blindside protector, and he should have an excellent 2011 season


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To qualify a running back must have at least 100 carries. Thanks guys for your feedback, and feel free to comment and criticize. Do you think I should give an extra bonus to the guys with more carries? It seems as if the players in the 100-199 range have the advantage, but this is- after all- and efficiency stat. (The groupings should not be interpreted as tiers, as they are only used to make it look less messy)


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2002 Darryl Kile is found dead in his hotel room before a Route 66 rivalry game. The Cardinals pitcher's tragic death still brings a tear to my eyes today.

1926 Grover Cleveland Alexander was picked off of waivers by the Cardinals from the Cubs. The pitcher was 39 at the time


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Randy Moss had the most receiving touchdowns in an NFL season with the New England Patriots in 2007. After an ugly breakup last year, the Pats' biggest rivals could sign Moss. This would only happen if the Jets were unable to re-sign either Santonio Holmes or Braylon Edwards. Holmes and Edwards are better players than Moss at this point in time, but Moss would fit right in in New York.

Mike Brown is the worst owner in the league, and he has the most interesting QB situation on his hands. We all know about the Carson Palmer quandary, and Brown has reiterated the fact that the Bengals will keep Palmer. If Palmer holds true to his statement and retires, then Brown says the team will just put in Andy Dalton. He also added that Palmer would be the starter if he stayed. I think the Bengals need to move on and trade Palmer. They'll also get good value for him as opposed to getting nothing in return. Palmer was terrible at the beginning of the year, but he was great in the last few weeks of the season. Was it injuries or luck? Either way, I think there are going to be teams that will try and give too much for him


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2011 NFL Draft Rankings

May 7th 2011 11:25
This post overviews all of the five parts and ranks which teams did the best and worst in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Great


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St. Louis Rams A plus- The Rams had an amazing draft. First, they got the best defensive end in the draft with just the 14th pick. That's unquestionably a huge bargain. Then, they spent the rest of the draft adding receivers to surround Sam Bradford. The guys they got look good to me. The Rams may finally have a decent receiving tight end with the selection of Lance Kendricks. He's got good hands, and Bradford would love to have him as a safety valve; any young QB would.

Danny Amendola is a decent receiver, but the rest of the other receivers on the Rams are average at best. Austin Pettis will be big in the red zone, and he could emerge as the main guy. He was a nice bargain in the third round. Greg Salas had a huge year for Hawaii, but we all know about how much players are too positively effected by their very pass-friendly system. Salas isn't a guy to write off just because he played at Hawaii. He's a sleeper pick and was a nice value in the fourth. He is raw, but he runs good routes, he's the toughest wideout in the draft, and he's fast. He isn't really a playmaker though, but Salas will be another reliable target for Bradford. Did I also mention that Josh McDaniels- the same guy that made Kyle Orton and Brandon Lloyd look really god- is their offensive coordinator? Watch out NFL, these Rams will air it. And hey, Steven Jackson ain't a bad running back either


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Arizona Cardinals A minus Patrick Peterson is the third best prospect in the draft, and the Cards got a bargain with Sam Acho in the fourth round. Ryan Williams and Robert Housler were also nice additions.

Atlanta Falcons C plus The trade to get Julio Jones was steep, but it was a solid move in my opinion. The addition of Akeem Dent was pretty good, but I wish the Falcons didn't trade up to get Jacquizz Rodgers


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2011 First Round Draft Notes

April 29th 2011 15:07
I can't say that I'm happy, but I'll have to give Cam Newton a chance. I didn't want the Panthers to take him at number one, but I don't want him to bust now that he's "the guy" for my favorite team. I wish the Panthers took a Marcell Dareus or A.J. Green and give Clausen and Moore another shot. After all, it is rare that a QB does well after just one year. It takes time. Smart teams like the Bucs wait three years for their QB, and the Bucs were rewarded when Josh Freeman had the year he had last season.

Newton is one of my least favorite players already, but I can't deny his athleticism. I just wish he had better footwork and was a better person. Jake Locker deserved to be picked at number eight by the Titans. He was high on their board, fits their system well, and he wasn't a reach. There are plenty of unintelligent people that dropped Locker from the first choice over Sam Bradford the year before, to somebody values in the late teens. And why? Well, that's because suddenly mystifying accuracy problems arose. This happens when those said unintelligent "experts" read stats- meaningless in college football- like completion percentage and don't watch what actually happened. Locker's receivers were terrible, and he was almost always under pressure due to an incompetent line


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2011 Pre-Draft Team Needs List

April 28th 2011 14:18
Patriots- O-Line Depth, Pass Rusher, Vertical Wide Receiver, depth RB, Safety
Jets- Pass rusher, offensive line
Dolphins- RB, Guard, QB


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2011 Second Round Mock Draft

April 25th 2011 14:31
33. New England Patriots- RB Mikel LeShoure
34. Buffalo Bills- QB Christian Ponder
35. Cincinnati Bengals- QB Ryan Mallett


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