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    Shutdown Corner
    • It was all downhill for ex-Heisman winner Rashaam Salaam. (Getty Images)From Ryan Leaf to JaMarcus Russell and far beyond, the history of draft bustitude is a long and sad one. There isn't an NFL team, no matter how well-run, without its own selection that set the franchise back. The New England Patriots have Chad Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens tied their name to Kyle Boller, and the Pittsburgh Steelers probably don't have a huge historical archive regarding their decision to take nose tackle Gabe Rivera in 1983 when some kid quarterback from Pitt was looking pretty good just down the road ... Dan Marino was his name, we believe.

      Among its own draft mistakes, the Chicago Bears would certainly list running back Rashaan Salaam at or near the top. The Colorado running back and 1994 Heisman Trophy winner was taken by Chicago with the 21st overall selection in 1995. Things looked good to start -- even after a long holdout before signing his first NFL contract, Salaam rushed for 1,074 yards and scored 10 touchdowns in his inaugural campaign. However, his nine fumbles that season soon became a metaphor for a career that was about to go the way of Monty Python's dead parrot. In the next three seasons, Salaam's yardage totals plummeted from 496 to 112 to 2. He was out of the league before the millennium turned over -- just one more cautionary tale when it comes to assuming that the NFL will be easy just because you tore it up in college. Eventually, he auctioned off his Heisman ring.

      [NFL draft winners/losers: Washington Redskins qualify as both]

      Asked recently to reflect on his epic NFL failure by Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune, Salaam (most recently an MMA promoter) said that it was very much about wanting it and working for it. For him, neither applied at the time. Heavy marijuana use and lack of focus finished him sooner than expected.

      "Work on your game. I didn't realize coming up how much work you had to put in once you got to the NFL. It's a whole different lifestyle. You have to change the way you live. You have to change who you hang out with. You have to totally get focused on your game. You have the athletic ability, but if you don't put the work behind it, nothing will come from it.

      "I had no discipline. I had all the talent in the world," he said. "You know, great body, great genes. But I had no work ethic and I had no discipline. The better you get, the harder you have to work. The better I got, the lazier I got."

      Salaam now lives in San Diego and helps run a camp to mentor kids. It's good of him to not only realize where he went wrong, but also to try and pass along those hard lessons.

      Read More »
    • (Getty Images)Finally, a story about a New York Jets quarterback that isn't Tim Tebow or Mark Sanchez! What a relief.

      ASSOCIATED PRESS: "Brett Favre will have to testify in court about sexually suggestive text messages."

      Oh, sorry.

      The retired quarterback will appear in a Manhattan court to testify about text messages sent to two massage therapists who worked with the Jets during Favre's season in New York.

      Christina Scavo and Shannon O'Toole filed a lawsuit last January alleging that the quarterback sent suggestive texts, treated them like a "hanging slab of meat" and was part of a workplace that was a "hot bed of sexual harassment, sexism and inappropriate behavior." They allege that they were fired from their part-time positions after Scavo's husband complained about the texts to Favre.

      The lawsuit does not directly relate to the case of Favre's infamous cell phone pictures, for which he received a $50,000 fine from the NFL.

      The Jets called the lawsuit "completely without merit" and tried to have

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    • On Tuesday morning, Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said something on the radio that will most likely be interpreted by many as sour grapes, coming as it did from the man whose team lost the 2011 AFC championship game to the New England Patriots.

      Asked by Baltimore radio station 98 Rock about recent NFL scandals involving the Patriots and New Orleans Saints, Harbaugh gave his philosophy regarding the "It ain't cheating if you don't get caught" philosophy that prevails in certain front offices and locker rooms. Specifically, the Spygate scandal which gave the Pats a black mark that won't wash off.

      "The funny thing about that is ... in the end, everything is brought before the light of day when it's all said and done. Even the thing in New England -- no matter whether those things had any impact on whether they won any of their championships or not, they've got asterisks now. They've been stained. So to me, it's never worth it. I mean, you've got to figure out ways to use the rules to your advantage, and figure out ways to make the most of everything. We've got new work rules [in the new CBA] about what he can and can't do with our players, and we're going to make the most of it. What we're finding out is that ... man, we can do something even better than we did before, because these rules make us focus on some things we didn't do before. That's what success is in this world -- you've got to find ways to do things better than somebody else.

      "But if you're cheating? In the end, you're going to get discredited. It's just not worth it."

      Harbaugh was then asked if he's ever been on the sideline during a game and suspected the other team had illegal intel -- that his opponent knew things about their play selection they should not have.

      "Yeah, I have. But if I say when, there's going to be like, Pro Football Talk is going to blow up and go crazy, and I'm going to get accused of accusing somebody."

      Harbaugh's comments are making the round on Twitter in headline form, frequently parsed as if he's saying something specifically directed at the Patriots and Bill Belichick in a transparent attempt to drum up controversy. I don't see it that way -- in fact, the two coaches are longtime friends, and Belichick gave Harbaugh a positive recommendation when he was in the hunt for his current job. Soon after the inevitable poopstorm happened, Harbaugh released a statement through the team:

      "While on the 98 Rock show this morning to talk about the run to honor O.J. Brigance and raise funds for ALS research, I answered a question about playing within the rules and referred to the perception that the Super Bowl championships won by the Patriots and Saints have a stain. My reference was to the perception out there that came as the result of the league's actions.

      "I could have been more clear that I was referring to those viewpoints. I totally believe that the Patriot and Saint coaches and players earned those championships. Bill (Belichick) and Sean (Payton) both know that.

      "There has been some distortion about what I said.

      "The original tweet indicated I pointed the finger at Bill Belichick and mentioned Bill's name. I did not. I have so much respect for Coach Belichick and the job he does and has accomplished in his Hall of Fame career. I called him to remind him of my respect for him. I also reached out to Tedy Bruschi, who rightfully defended those Patriot players and coaches on ESPN, to tell him that I agree with him that the Patriots earned every victory."

      According to the team, Harbaugh also "called Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick and former Pats player turned ESPN analyst Tedy Bruschi to explain his comments."

      Read More »
    • (Getty Images)Live from New York, it's not Aaron Rodgers.

      Days before Eli Manning is set to host "Saturday Night Live," Aaron Rodgers explained why he has yet to host the program despite being asked.

      Speaking to Darren Smith of 1090 AM San Diego, he said:

      "I have been invited. I want to do it right and the commitment that it takes, in my opinion to do it the right way, was just too much for me this offseason. I will be doing that in the future and look forward to the opportunity. NBC has been great to me and I'll look forward to getting on there. Peyton set the bar pretty high and it'll be interesting to see Eli this week to see if he can live up to his brother's appearance.

      "It's a lot of rehearsal and I'd like to do it right -- spend a week out there, spend time with the writers and the actors and put on a good show. As we've seen, you can tell the people who really put the time in on it and the people who maybe couldn't make the same kind of commitment."

      If I read this correctly, Aaron Rodgers is

      Read More »
    • Getty ImagesAre you having trouble deciding whether or not Janine, who failed out of beauty school, owes money to Stephen, who's never worn long pants before today, for not paying back money she borrowed from his Aunt Dotty for a really good deal on cigarettes?

      Well, now you can ask seven-time Pro Bowler Warren Sapp.

      Joining a list of immortals that includes Judge Judy, Judge Wapner and Judge Reinhold, Warren Sapp will now sit behind a big fake judge's desk and wear a big fake judge's robe in the middle of the weekday. That's according to Media Rantz, who uncovered several bits of evidence that "Judge Sapp" is already filming. Perhaps most telling was this call for audience members to sit and be paid to watch Judge Sapp dispense justice.

      Sapp is an analyst on the NFL Network (though he wasn't seen working at the NFL draft and his contract is expiring in August) and he recently filed for bankruptcy protection in Florida. At the time, he also said he feared being sued by Jeremy Shockey, who Sapp said was responsible for blowing the whistle on the Saints bounty system.

      [omg!: 'Octomom' files for bankruptcy, delays auction of home]

      But if it turns out that Sapp is really good at the TV judge thing, it could solve all of his financial problems. I'm sure he's a long way from this, but Judge Judy is currently pulling in $45 million a year for yelling at people.

      I'm of the opinion that Sapp did good work on the NFL Network, but I don't know if he's the guy I'd seek out for a fair and reasonable ruling on a dispute. "Yes, the court has determined that since Mr. Clifton happened to be looking in the other direction, it was perfectly acceptable to destroy his pelvis."


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    • APBruce Irvin going at 15th overall still ranks as the most surprising pick of the NFL draft, but maybe only to you and me. Folks in and around the league might not have shared our surprise.

      Had the Seahawks not taken him, according to one report, a number of other teams were ready to pounce on the pass rusher out of West Virginia.

      Here's a snippet of the report from Len Pasquarelli at The Sports Xchange.

      Less than five minutes after the Seahawks plucked Irvin, with a pick that surprised many pundits, the telephone rang in the Seattle "war room." On the other end was a Jets' official, good-naturedly cursing a Seahawks' counterpart for having chosen the prospect New York planned to grab one pick later. San Francisco dispatched an assistant coach to meet with, and work out, Irvin two days before the draft. One of the teams intrigued by Irvin phoned him the week before the draft to indicate its interest in him.

      Someone with the Jets cursing? Why, that's difficult to fathom.

      Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll shared some similar information.

      There's not a coach in this league that didn't look at this kid and know that he's a unique, special talent. Our phone's already been flooded by our coaching friends calling in that realized what we're getting. We did a good thing here today.

      So if you're a Seattle fan and you were disappointed with the Bruce Irvin selection, maybe this cushions the blow for you. Chances are, you made up your mind about who you wanted the Seahawks to draft based on other peoples' mock drafts and information you gathered from ESPN, the NFL Network, or various websites like this one.

      But mock drafts, as educational and entertaining as they can be, are severely limited in their accuracy by the fact that no team willingly divulges anything that's true.

      Read More »
    • Wisconsin safety Aaron Henry could be an asset in the right defense. (Getty Images)

      You may remember that Doug Baldwin and Victor Cruz had pretty good seasons in 2011. And that Wes Welker guy? He's pretty good, too. Arian Foster is nobody to sneeze at, and London Fletcher is one of the most durable and productive linebackers we've seen in this era. You heard of Tony Romo? Antonio Gates? And we'd better include James Harrison, lest he lay us out with one of those brick-hard hits.

      You may know where we're going with this -- none of the players named above heard their names called by any teams in their draft classes. With chips on their shoulders, and the desire to prove everybody wrong, undrafted players will often rise to a level few saw coming. Add in the historical guys -- Kurt Warner, Night Train Lane, John Randle, Rod Smith, Warren Moon, Priest Holmes, Adam Vinatieri, Larry Little, Sam Mills ... the list does go on and on. In that spirit, it's not a reach to assume that one of the players that went undrafted in the 2012 class will wind up making a lot of personnel guys look pretty dumb in time. Here are our favorite undrafteds this year on defense; you can find our favorite undrafted offensive players right here.

      Defensive End

      Jacquies Smith, Missouri: Aldon Smith's successor as Mizzou's main pass rusher doesn't flash Smith's talent, but he's a high-effort guy who could show out in hybrid defenses. Undrafted due to the deadly trilogy: size concerns, short arms, small hands.

      Kourtnei Brown, Clemson: Impressive athlete who scored interception and fumble return touchdowns against North Carolina last season. Has injury and "one-year wonder" concerns, but seems to take the attributes that would make some NFL team look smart.

      Jamie Blatnick, Oklahoma State: Kind of a tweener, size-wise, and there are off-field issues to look at. But he does flash potential as a situational blitz player for a team with a solid locker room.

      [Jason Cole: Dolphins, Steelers score high AFC draft grades | NFC grades]

      Defensive Tackle

      Hebron Fangupo, BYU: Interesting story here. Fangupo spent two years on a religious mission in the Philippines after high school, and suffered through an injury-plagued stint at USC following his JUCO transfer. Transferred to BYU after SC and finally showed his stuff. Not a playmaker; more a bowling-ball nose tackle type who can soak up blockers. Will come into the NFL in his late 20s, which seems to be a ding to everyone but Brandon Weeden.

      Marcus Forston, Miami: Major injury concerns, but Forston looks the part when he can play. Raw project player with some ability against the run and pass.

      Matt Masifulu, Stanford: Masifulu made enough plays in Vic Fangio's multiple defenses to stand out on tape, and did the same after Fangio followed Jim Harbaugh to the 49ers. He'll be reunited with Fangio in San Francisco, and he's a player to watch this preseason. Possible rotation guy.

      Inside Linebacker

      Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State: Remember in "Bull Durham," when the coaches spoke of Nuke Laloosh as the kid with the million-dollar arm and the five-cent head? Burfict is the football version -- a player with estimable raw talent who was benched multiple times because he couldn't stop racking up stupid penalties. Questionable football sense, to put it kindly.

      Shawn Loiseau, Merrimack: Who? Where? Well, there are obviously questions about Loiseau's ability to play against tougher competition -- you don't often impress the NFL by dominating Southern Connecticut State. But his impressive week at the Shrine Game got some interest going. He's the reeeeeeeeally small-school version of Luke Kuechly -- more a rangy space player with great intangibles than a dominant tackler. Signed with the Texans.

      Noah Keller, Ohio: Athletic marvel who absolutely blew up his Pro Day and amassed 438 tackles in his collegiate career. Coming off multiple injuries in 2011, which probably kept him out of the late rounds, but fought through them very well.

      Read More »
    • Tony Romo and his wife Candice Crawford attended the White House Correspondents' Dinner over the weekend, marking their first public appearance since the birth of their first child three weeks ago.

      Hawkins Crawford Romo was born April 8 and weighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces. Judging by his parent's body, flat stomach, rested eyes and perky smile, you wouldn't know it. Oh, and Candice Crawford looks great too.

      (Getty Images)

      Here's mom and dad with Hawkins' uncle, actor Chace Crawford:

      (Getty Images)

      In this picture, they're joined by one of the guys from "Modern Family" and getting photobombed by the teacher from "Glee."

      (Getty Images)

      And here's a picture taken at a pre-dinner party with Oprah's friend.

      (Getty Images)

      US Weekly reports Romo was overheard bragging about how he's "good at the diaper thing," which is no surprise, given his role in Dallas' 1-4 December swoon.

      Read More »
    • (AP)David DeCastro's phone was ringing. On the other end was a two-time Super Bowl champion and the man DeCasto was drafted to protect. The Stanford guard, selected No. 24 by the Pittsburgh Steelers in Thursday's NFL draft, was getting a congratulatory call from Ben Roethlisberger.

      DeCastro answered and Roethlisberger welcomed him to the team. The rookie's response? "Did you get those flight plans?"

      DeCastro thought Roethlisberger was the team's traveling coordinator booking his flight to Pittsburgh for his introductory press conference. He apparently didn't realize he was receiving a call from someone a little higher up on the franchise's organizational flowchart.

      "He was saying, 'Did you get those flight plans? Did you get those flight plans?''' Roethlisberger told a group at the Blair County Convention Center over the weekend. After a few seconds, DeCastro figured it out.

      "I can't wait once we get started to get on him about that,'' Roethlisberger joked, thus ensuring that DeCastro

      Read More »
    • Believe it or not, our top undrafted QB once beat out Matt Barkley at USC. (Getty Images)

      You may remember that receivers Doug Baldwin and Victor Cruz had pretty good seasons in 2011. And that Wes Welker guy? He's pretty good, too. Arian Foster is nobody to sneeze at, and London Fletcher is one of the most durable and productive linebackers we've seen in this era. You heard of Tony Romo? Antonio Gates? And we'd better include James Harrison, lest he lay us out with one of those brick-hard hits.

      You may know where we're going with this -- none of the players named above heard their names called by any teams in their draft classes. With chips on their shoulders, and the desire to prove everybody wrong, undrafted players will often rise to a level few saw coming. Add in the historical guys -- Kurt Warner, Night Train Lane, John Randle, Rod Smith, Warren Moon, Priest Holmes, Adam Vinatieri, Larry Little, Sam Mills ... the list does go on and on. In that spirit, it's not a reach to assume that one of the players that went undrafted in the 2012 class will wind up making a lot of personnel guys look pretty dumb in time. Here are our favorite undrafteds this year on offense; our all-defense team can be found here.

      Quarterback

      Aaron Corp, Richmond: USC transfer who impressed me at the combine and had me going back to watch tape. Beat Matt Barkley out as a starter before breaking his leg, which makes you wonder what might have been. A Greg Cosell favorite.

      [Related: Michael Silver's rankings: Gus Frerotte gives Kirk Cousins advice in the Redskins' quarterback race]

      Kellen Moore, Boise State: Great brain, popgun arm. In the right offense, could be a Chad Pennington/Ty Detmer type. Potential to be a coach on the field -- he's smart enough to do more with a clipboard than just hold it on the sidelines.

      Austin Davis, Southern Miss: Davis also came on my radar with his combine throwing session. Played in an offense that had a lot of read-first or predetermined reads, but you could say the same thing of Brandon Weeden.

      Running Back

      Chris Polk, Washington: Polk's positive is that he plays like he thinks he's 250 pounds. His negative is that he doesn't weigh 250 pounds. Incredibly physical runner with medical concerns. Underrated pass-catcher and a good kid who will work his butt off.

      Davin Meggett, Maryland: Son of Dave Meggett. Bowling-ball runner who might have a Mike Tolbert-style career. Not explosive by any means, but gets through the pile with authority and could shine in a running back rotation.

      [Related: NFL 'Die Hards' sit through all three days of the draft]

      Tauren Poole, Tennessee: Poole has speed that he doesn't always know what to do with. Outruns his protection, and he's inconsistent, but he's worth a shot as a project player.

      Bobby Rainey, Western Kentucky: Fast and agile player who might have seen an early third-day call if he was taller than 5-foot-7. Not that any short running backs have ever succeeded ... oh, wait! They succeed all the time.

      Receiver

      Chris Owusu, Stanford: Multiple concussions prevented Owusu from becoming the fifth Cardinal to be drafted in this class. If he can check out medically (and we certainly wish him the best from that perspective), you'll see a real burner who can establish himself as an outside threat and kick returner.

      Eric Page, Toledo: At 5-foot-9 and 186 pounds, Page looks like a waterbug, but doesn't always look like one. You'd want better than 4.6 combine speed from a guy his size, and he may lack the physicality to be an NFL slot man in some offenses. But he is a good glider and he's shifty in space.

      [Shutdown Corner: Why some top prospects fell down the NFL draft board]

      Jeff Fuller, Texas A&M: Good overall route guy, but man ... those hands. Those in the know who have charted A&M's games understand that Ryan Tannehill was unfairly dinged because his receivers dropped the ball as if it was the proverbial greased pig. Fuller's first challenge at the NFL level is obvious.

      Tight End

      DeAngelo Peterson, LSU: Might be an H-back at the next level, but will need development coming out of a retro passing offense. Gives effort and could also surprise out of the flex. Not an old-school tight end in the blocking department.

      Chase Ford, Miami: A Miami tight end with limited experience and one-dimensional ability at this point. Well, that's what they said about Jimmy Graham. Ford isn't that good, but he blew it up at the East-West Shrine game and started popping up on the radar.

      Offensive Tackles

      Matt Reynolds, BYU: Reynolds served a two-year LDS mission at BYU, so he's coming into the league a bit older. But he started every one of the 52 possible game he could start for the Cougars, even when the offense fell off the cliff. Smart and clean on and off the field with interesting attributes.

      Read More »

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