There is an eighty percent chance that Cedric Benson remains with the Cincinnati Bengals for another season. He showed up at player workouts, he likes Andy Dalton, and he is happy that the playbook contains more running plays than last year. The Bengals passed it way too much last season, and that just doesn't make sense for a team with a running back who is easily better than the quarterback.

"I've been very passive the last three years, almost because I've had to," Benson said to the Cincinnati Enquirer. "I'm not saying I'm a totally different person or I'd be crazy vocal or anything like that. I would be a little bit more expressive. I work hard and am passionate about it. I want the guys I'm playing with to be the same way."

Scouts are saying that Terrelle Pryor is only worth a sixth or seventh round pick in the supplemental draft. I think a team will take him in the fourth round, because I know that teams that want to develop a young QB will take him when they can. He was also great at OSU as a player, so I don't think he'll go that low in the supplemental draft. He seems like a career backup to me. He has upside, but he's just so raw and doesn't seem like a good enough player. Pryor is no Bernie Kosar guys. The people that say that don't even know the whole Kosar story anyway.

Kerry Collins wants to stay with the Titans and wants to groom Jake Locker. I would keep him for that reason, and you never know what happens in the NFL. I love Locker, but he could hit a rookie wall and Collins would be a nice stopgap for a year. He's better than what they have, and the Titans don't even have a real backup right now. Collins should be re-signed to a cheap one-year deal. I bet he'll take it.

"When we came to Nashville [in 2006] I told my wife, 'We are going to ride this thing out here as long as it goes and that is going to be it,'" said Collins, the Tennessean reports. "I know I am getting near the end, but I still have good football left in me. If it makes sense on both sides to do it, I'd be good for coming back. Physically, I definitely have a couple of years left in me, no doubt. But I want to see where the Titans are at, too."

Ronde Barber says he won't retire yet. I think he's a subpar corner at this stage of his career, but there's really no reason for him to retire. The Bucs need to keep their leader on defense, and he means a lot to them with uncertainty looming over Aqib Talib's future in Tampa. The Bucs are a pretty good team, and Barber wants to see the playoffs again. Ronde is also making sure that he retires when he has to. He saw what happened to his brother Tiki, and he knows that he still needs football.

"I'll play until I can't do it anymore," Barber told NFL.com. "I'm fortunate to be in a good situation. I have a coach who I'm comfortable with, and he's comfortable with me. I have a GM who understands me and wants me around. We'll play it year by year. I think all parties involved will know when it's time for me to be done."

Jerry Reese is one of the best general managers in the game, and he says that the Giants will re-sign Ahmad Bradshaw and keep Brandon Jacobs. Bradshaw is very important to the Giants, and Jacobs is also vital to the team's success. They are a dynamic duo who play well off of eachother. Bradshaw is the all-around guy, and Jacobs is the bruising back who grinds out yardage. Jacobs thought he was the odd man out and that the Giants wouldn't be able to keep him around and re-sign Bradshaw. Reese and most of us know that the Giants will gladly keep both of them around.

"I guess you have to consider the source when Brandon starts talking," Reese said on ESPN radio. "You can't read a lot into what Brandon is saying sometimes. We do expect Brandon to be part of the football team this fall. He is under contract. Brandon does talk a lot and like I said, sometimes you got to tune some of that stuff out that he is talking about."

Sticking Around

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NFL, NFL Rumors and News, Titans, Jake Locker, Kerry Collins TEN, Bengals, Andy Dalton, Cedric Benson, New York Giants, Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs, Jerry Reese, Bucs, Ronde Barber, Bernie Kosar, Tiki Barber

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2011 NFL Draft Team Grades Part 5

May 6th 2011 14:36

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.

Tampa Bay Bucs B I thought the Bucs did a solid job. They bolstered their pass rush by getting Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers. Bowers was a nice deal at the end of the second round, and he fell due to injury and character concerns. The talent is obviously there, and I think it was a good pick by Tampa. Clayborn, Stylez G. White, and Bowers should be able to make up a young and solid rotation for the Bucs.

Mason Foster looks like a solid linebacker with a good motor and is also versatile. The problem is that, if Barrett Ruud leaves, he'll be forced to play MLB in the Tampa 2 which calls upon middle linebackers to be very athletic with great range. Foster is solid, but he doesn't seem like the prototypical Tampa 2 middle linebacker. Tight end Luke Stocker should be a nice number two, and he's a good blocker that will provide some value in two tight end sets. Ahmad Black was a solid choice in round five. He's a bit slow, but I like his instincts. He'll be a solid depth guy right off. The Bucs already have good enough safeties, so he won't be thrust into the starting spot.

Tennessee Titans A minus- The Titans did a spectacular job by getting Jake Locker. I've already talked about my opinions on Locker a lot, so let's just say that I believe he was not reach and is the best QB in the class. The Titans probably thought so, and they filled in a huge need by taking him. Akeem Ayers isn't good in coverage, but he's a good pass rusher that also does a very good job against the run. He'll probably be on the strong side for the Titans.

Jurrell Casey was one of my sleepers, and the Titans were the ones that got this bargain in the third round. Casey is a stout tackle who will keep on improving because of his incredible work ethic. Casey is great against the run, and he also does a decent job of getting to the QB. Karl Klug's position in the NFL- end or tackle- is uncertain, but we do know that Klug is a solid tackler that has a good motor that enables him to get to the ball. He is a team player that should be able to find his niche in the NFL.

Washington Redskins B minus- The Skins did a pretty good job in this year's draft. Ryan Kerrigan looks like a solid player that will give them something on the line; the underrated Vonnie Holiday will most likely depart through free agency. Jarvis Jenkins will bring a lot of help on the D-Line as well, and he might even start at defensive tackle. Leonard Hankerson is a solid receiver, and we all know how bad the Redskins' wideouts are, besides the very good Santana Moss. Moss might leave through free agency as well, so drafting two wideouts- we'll get to the other one later- was critical.

Roy Helu is a solid pass catcher and has a good mix of power and speed. He isn't so good in lateral quickness, but he's one of my sleepers and solid value in the fourth round. More competition at running back, yet another uncertain position in D.C., is definitely better. Helu will probably backup Ryan Torain, and I'll think he'll do a good job being the number two guy; which is important in today's league where an injury to a back is never far away. You have to constantly rest your RBs.

Niles Paul is a big receiver and his skillset will be important to the Skins. He's a solid player who will most likely end up being a decent number three receiver. He can also return and get YAC. That's pretty decent value for a 5th rounder. Evan Royster is one of my favorite players, I'm a PSU fan, and I always enjoyed watching him in college. He's a solid runner with good hands, but he just looks like an average number two back at best. Royster will bring something to the Redskins' running back competition, and he may get a few carries. Royster was a nice pick in the 6th round, and he'll be at least an average player in the league with time. He just isn't athletic enough to start. But trust me, he can be a solid number two back.

Good Job Titans

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NFL, NFL Teams, Titans, Akeem Ayers, Jake Locker, Jurrell Casey, Karl Klug, Brandon Lloyd DEN, Kyle Orton, Redskins, Evan Royster, Jarvis Jenkins, Leonard Hankerson, Niles Paul, Roy Helu, Ryan Kerrigan, Ryan Torain, Santana Moss, Vonnie Holiday, Bucs, Adrian Clayborn, Ahmad Black, Barrett Ruud, Luke Stocker, Mason Foster, Stylez G White, Rams, Austin Pettis, Danny Amendola, Greg Salas, Josh McDaniels, Lance Kendricks, Robert Quinn, Sam Bradford

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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.

Christian Ponder was a reach at 12, but the Vikings couldn't risk waiting too long. They made a smart choice because if you think that QB can be the guy, then by all means take him. Bill Musgrave wants to instill a WCO, and Ponder is the most accurate QB in the draft and best suited for the West Coast Offense. Ponder is an early second round talent and would have been most likely off the board by the time the Vikings would pick again.

I don't like the Saints' idea to trade up to the first round to select Mark Ingram. You should never do that for a running back. The Patriots accepted the basically free second round choice, and they own the top pick in the second round thanks to another horrible draft-day trade by Carolina the year before. That pick is a highly coveted one, but the Pats should keep the first of their three second round choices to select Da'Quan Bowers. He's far too talented to pass up on, and he is a first-round talent. The Pats could use a pass rusher like Bowers.

The Falcons did a nice job in trading up to get Julio Jones at number six. They knew that they desperately needed a playmaking receiver, and the choices after Jones were all developmental projects. It wasn't a reach because a lot of teams near that pick also looked like they really wanted one of only two top receiving prospects. The other guys are all boom-or-bust players or sleepers. The Falcons got their man.

Von Miller will be a good pass rusher in this league, but he is awfully similar to a great pass rusher the Broncos already have; Elvis Dumervil. I would have taken Marcell Dareus in that spot, because the Broncos start the poor Kevin Vickerson at defensive tackle. The Bills gladly picked up Dareus, and he will form a great defensive line duo with Kyle Williams.

I thought Aldon Smith was taken too high. Smith has a lot of upside, but the 49ers would have been better off drafting Robert Quinn and then re-signing Manny Lawson. Quinn and Fairley took big drops, and the teams that took them pounced on both top prospects on the D-Line. While the Rams and Lions are set on the line and have needs elsewhere, they took the best guys available and acquired two elite prospects outside of the top ten.

Prince Amukamara also took a huge plunge, and the Giants finally have a coverage corner. Terrell Thomas is solid, but he's a physical corner that mainly stops the run. Thomas isn't really a coverage player. Aaron Ross and Corey Webster are poor corners, so Amukamara will greatly boost a secondary that just couldn't cover. I love his instincts.