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| The Jaguars showed off three of their four new uniforms last week. From left to right, Eugene Monroe, Uche Nwaneri, Mercedes Lewis. Photo credit to NY Daily News. |
Thursday marked the start of the 2013 NFL Draft. There
wasn’t too much to get excited about at the top end, but there was plenty of
depth and a few steals along the way. But the draft wasn’t the only news of the
week, so let’s get into everything.
Jaguars New Uniforms
The Jacksonville Jaguars unveiled their new look, which you
can see in the cover photo for this post. Changing uniform looks has worked for
some teams in the past (e.g., the Tampa Bay Rays and the Seattle Seahawks). But
I have a feeling Jacksonville will need more than a new look if they want the
taste of success that has eluded them since Tom Coughlin left.
That said, I really like the new uniforms. The coolest part
is the helmet. The matte black in the front fades into gold in the back of the
helmet. I’m always a fan of taking chances in uniform fashion. Well, almost
always. The Pittsburgh Steelers striped uniforms may be the ugliest I’ve ever
seen in any sport.
NFL Draft
Eric Fisher (OT, Central Michigan) and Luke Joeckel (OT,
Texas A&M) were taken first and second overall by the Chiefs and Jaguars,
respectively. Both teams are in dire need of help on the offensive line. Still,
it isn’t common for O-Linemen to go so high, especially two of them.
The first quarterback taken off the board was EJ Manuel of
Florida State. The Bills selected him in the middle of the first round, and he
remained the only quarterback taken on day one. The Jets used the 38th
overall pick on West Virginia QB Geno Smith, who was considered a Heisman
frontrunner early last season after throwing for 656 yards and 8 touchdowns
against Baylor. He completed 45 of 51 passes in that game, showing that he can
be very accurate. He faded down the stretch last season though, which is why he
fell out of the first round.
The Chargers traded up in the second round to draft Manti
Te’o, the subject of a girlfriend hoax. The Chargers have been looking for a
signature linebacker since Shawne Merriman’s career flamed out. Manti had a
rough combine, but he has a great work ethic and could be a perfect fit in San
Diego.
Former Oregon coach Chip Kelly selected Matt Barkley, rival
USC’s quarterback, with the Eagles’ 4th round pick. Barkley was a pretty accurate
quarterback in college but likely fell to the 98th pick because of
other USC quarterbacks who have not faired so well in the NFL. He has the
potential to be considered the steal
of the 2013 draft.
Another guy with that potential is Marcus Lattimore, the
South Carolina running back who fell to the 131st overall pick (a
compensatory pick in the 4th round). He injured his right knee
against Tennessee and Dr. James Andrews performed his surgery. He is expected
to be able to play again, but we don’t know when. James Andrews performed
Adrian Peterson’s surgery and he came back as good as ever. We are also waiting
to see how Robert Griffin III comes back after Andrews performed his knee
surgery.
Carter to try out for
Minnesota, Montana for 49ers
Two young men who were not drafted have been invited to try
out for their fathers’ teams. Duron Carter, a wide receiver from Florida
Atlantic, is the son of Cris Carter, who will be inducted to the Pro Football
Hall of Fame this August. He was invited, after the draft ended, to try out for
the Minnesota Vikings. There were some early reports that the Vikings were
going to sign Carter, but for now it is nothing more than a tryout.
Nate Montana flamed out at Notre Dame and moved around a
bit, finishing up with a year at Division II West Virginia Wesleyan. He’s more
than a long shot to make an NFL roster. If Carter’s tryout with Minnesota is
more than just a favor to an old superstar, there’s no way the same can be said
for Nate Montana. His dad was the greatest quarterback in NFL history by the
time he retired, and is still widely regarded as such.
Still, I hope both kids perform well enough to make it.
Tebow Released
Once again, the Jets get the last story in my weekly update.
Last week, they had just completed a trade sending their best player to Tampa
Bay. This time, they released Tim Tebow after a very bizarre year. Following
the draft, New York found themselves overstocked on quarterbacks, with six of
them. So they released Tim Tebow so he can, hopefully, find a home with a team
that will actually use him. Geno Smith and Mark Sanchez are going to be
competing for the starting job; the Jets would be fools to not have Smith
starting by Week 1.
Right now, I’m not sure there is an optimal home for Tim
Tebow. Jacksonville would still be a good spot for him, but he would have to
switch positions with just about any other team.
If I’m missing anything important, or if you just want to
hear my thoughts on any other offseason news from the past week, feel free to
contact me via my Twitter account, @cpuffnfl.
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