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Houston Texans 1 (1) - Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina; 2 (33) - Xavier Sua-Filo, OG, UCLA; 3 (65) - C. Jerseys From China .J. Fiedorowicz, TE, Iowa; 3 (83) - Louis Nix, NT, Notre Dame; 4 (135) - Tom Savage, QB, Pittsburgh; 6 (177) - Jeoffrey Pagan, DE, Alabama; 6 (181) - Alfred Blue, RB, LSU; 6 (211) - Jay Prosch, FB, Auburn; 7 (216) - Andre Hall, CB, Vanderbilt; 7 (256) - Lonnie Ballentine, FS, Memphis Top Picks Analysis: Houston, was expected to address its muddled quarterback situation early in this draft but days one and two came and went as the Texans scored with value picks through the third round. Superstar defensive end Jadeveon Clowney was a no-brainer for the Texans at No. 1 overall once the organization couldnt extract a kings ransom for his services. After that, the Texans found plug-and-play starters at both Nos. 33 and 83, UCLA offensive guard Xavier Sua-Filo and Notre Dame nose tackle Louis Nix. And in between those two picks, Houston GM Rick Smith was able to garner one of the better two-way tight ends in the draft, C.J. Fiedorowicz of Iowa. Best Value Pick: There was no sense of urgency at the games most important position, leading many to speculate that Smith and new head coach Bill OBrien were honing in on Tom Bradys backup in New England, Ryan Mallett. In the end the 6-foot-7 Mallett may still end up in south Texas but if he gets there he will have some extra competition because Smith was able to provide OBrien another Joe Flacco-sized thrower by snaring the 6-foot-4, 228-pound Tom Savage in the fourth round. Barring Mallets arrival Savage will be competing against a triumvirate which includes veteran free agent signee Ryan Fitzpatrick as well as youngsters Case Keenum and T.J. Yates, who have both been given limited opportunities by the Texans in the past but have hardly set the world on fire. "Im just going to have to come in there and work and compete and thats all you can really ask for," Savage said. "I think I obviously have a lot to learn and I went 1,024 days without playing football and played one year at Pitt. I think I have a lot to improve. Im excited to just get in there and start working." Questionable Calls: If a deep quarterback draft, at least when it comes to prospects, it might have been more prudent for the Texans to address the position sooner with a more NFL-ready prospect. Summary: When you possess the No. 1 overall pick, you should do well and Houston did. Three likely starters and potential at the quarterback position point toward success. FINAL GRADE: A Undrafted rookie free agent signings: WR Nathan Slaughter, West Texas A&M; LB Max Bullough, Michigan State; K Chris Boswell, Rice; DE Cory Henry, Florida Atlantic; WR Josh Stewart, Oklahoma; TE Anthony Denham, Utah; WR Travis Labhart, Texas A&M; OT Chris Martin, Central Florida; OT Matt Feiler, Bloomsburg; OG Kevin Forsch, Houston; OT Bryan Witzmann, South Dakota State; WR Anthony McClung, Cincinnati; TE Chris Coyle, Arizona State; LB Chris McAlister, Baylor; LB Terrance Lloyd, Baylor; LB Chris Young, Arizona State; LB Jason Ankrah, Nebraska; DT Tyrone Ezell, Pittsburgh; DT Austin Brown, Miami-Ohio; CB Marcus Williams, North Dakota State; DT Julius Warmsley, Tulane; S Theo Alexander, Southeast Louisiana; DB Nick Addison, Bethune- Cookman Indianapolis Colts 2 (59) - Jack Mewhort, OL, Ohio State; 3 (90) - Donte Moncrief, WR, Ole Miss; 5 (166) - Jonathan Newsome, DE, Ball State; 6 (203) - Andrew Jackson, ILB, Western Kentucky; 7 (232) - Ulrick John, OT, Georgia State Top Picks Analysis: The Colts did not have a first-round pick because of general manager Ryan Grigsons ill-fated trade for disappointing running back Trent Richardson. Indianapolis badly needed help on the interior offensive line and used its first pick (No. 59 overall) on Ohio States Jack Mewhort, who played tackle on the college level but projects inside. Third-round pick Donte Moncrief is a big, raw receiver, who should add to what already is shaping up as a far deeper group of pass catchers for Andrew Luck (Reggie Wayne, Hakeem Nicks, Ty Hilton, DaRick Rogers). Best Value Pick: Seventh-round offensive tackle Ulrick John out of Georgia State has the frame and long arms to be something but needs to add strength. Questionable Calls: Dealing a first-round pick for Richardson, who showed no explosion as a runner while Ii Cleveland and even less with the Colts, is inexcusable. Summary: The T-Rich deal put Grigson in a bind and there wasnt much he could do to salvage this draft. FINAL GRADE: C- Undrafted rookie free agent signings: QB Seth Lobato, Northern Colorado; S Dewey McDonald, California (PA); CB Keon Lyn, Syracuse; G Marcus Hall, Ohio State; RB Zurlon Tipton, Central Michigan; DE Tyler Hoover, Michigan State; DT Zack Kerr, Delaware; OL Eric Shultz, Utah State; DT Nnamdi Ubokwelu, Harvard; G Josh Walker, Middle. Tennessee State; WR Tony Washington, Appalachian State; WR Jordan Harris, Bryant; S Anthony Baskin, Carson-Newman; CB Qua Cox, Jackson State; K Cody Parkey, Auburn; WR Eric Thomas, Troy WR Greg Moore, Lane College; RB Brandon Oliver, Buffalo; CB Darius Polk, Kent State; C Jonotthan Harrison, Florida; CB Louchiez Purifoy, Florida Jacksonville Jaguars 1 (3) - Blake Bortles, QB, Central Florida; 2 (39) - Marqise Lee, WR, USC; 2 (61) - Allen Robinson, WR, Penn State; 3 (93) - Brandon Linder, OG, Miami; 4 (114) - Aaron Colvin, CB, Oklahoma; 5 (144) - Telvin Smith, ILB, Florida State; 5 (159) - Chris Smith, DE, Arkansas; 6 (205) - Luke Bowanko, OC, Virginia; 7 (222) Storm Johnson, RB, Central Florida Top Picks Analysis: The Jags sent Radio City Music Hall into a tizzy by selecting Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles with the third overall pick and bypassing higher-rated talents like Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins and Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack. Jacksonville was looking for the answer at the games most important position, after pulling the plug on 2011 first-round pick Blaine Gabbert in the offseason, sending the former Mizzou star to San Francisco to be Colin Kaepernicks new backup. At 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds Bortles brings prototypical size to the table and many have compared him to Ben Roethlisberger, although it remains to seen if he shows the same kind if innate escapeability as "Big Ben." With Justin Blackmon suspended moving forward Jags GM David Caldwell added a pair of receivers for Bortles in the second round, USCs Marqise Lee and Penn States Allen Robinson. The third round brought interior offensive line help with Miami offensive guard Brandon Linder, a steady, if unspectacular prospect. Best Value Pick: Fourth-round cornerback Aaron Colvin of Oklahoma was likely going to be a Day 2 pick at worst if he didnt suffer a knee injury before the Senior Bowl. Jacksonville will have to redshirt him for a year but may have found a difference maker if he rehabs well. Questionable Calls: There is just no way you can consider Bortles one of the three best prospects in the is draft so there is no question that Jacksonville overreached a bit. The Jags did re-sign Chad Henne as a bridge and an insurance policy in the offseason, meaning they could have bypassed the position at No. 3 overall and looked for the answer in the second round with the 39th overall selection. Summary: Bortles future will not only define this draft for Jacksonville, it will also define the fates of both Caldwell and head coach Gus Bradley in the Sunshine State. FINAL GRADE: B- Undrafted rookie free agent signings: WR Allen Hurns, Miami; QB Stephen Morris, Miami; G Tyler Shatley, Clemson; RB Terreance Cobb, Cumberlands (Ky.); TE D.J. Tialavela, Utah State; TE Marcel Jensen, Fresno State; OT Josh Wells, James Madison; FB Maurice Hagens, Miami; CB Rashaad Reynolds, Oregon State; S Craig Loston, LSU; TE Reggie Jordan, Missouri Western; P Chad Zinchini, Tennessee Tech; DT Ricky Havili-Heimuli, Oregon; WR Brandon Wimberly, Nevada; LB Spencer Shuey, Clemson; K Jeff Budzein, Kansas State; DL DeAndre Coleman, California; DB Mike Jordan, Missouri Western; LB Marcus Whitfield, Maryland; S Craig Loston, LSU; WR Damian Copeland, Louisville; LS Trevor Gillette, Rice Tennessee Titans 1 (11) - Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan; 2 (54) - Bishop Sankey, RB, Washington; 4 (112) - DaQuan Jones, DT, Penn State; 4 (122) - Marqueston Huff, FS, Wyoming; 5 (151) - Avery Williamson, ILB, Kentucky; 6 (178) - Zach Mettenberger, QB, LSU; Top Picks Analysis: With Michael Roos and Michael Oher on board, tackle wasnt really a need in Nashville but general manager Ruston Webster surveyed the landscape at No. 11 overall and decided Michigans Taylor Lewan was the best player available. Its hard to argue with that logic because Lewan has the prototypical length and athletic ability to play tackle in the NFL for a decade or so. Running back was a need for the Titans because the team moved on from Chris Johnson in the offseason and Washingtons Bishop Sankey will have every opportunity to become the bell cow. The second-round pick has a lot of Emmitt Smith qualities in that he is an all-around volume back who does everything pretty well. Best Value Pick: Tennessee wanted some competition for Jake Locker and they got it in the sixth round with former LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger, who has tremendous size and perhaps the best arm strength in this draft. A diluted urine sample at the scouting combine and some injury concerns pushed Mettenberger down the board. Questionable Calls: Linebacker Avery Williamson, the Titans fifth-round pick out of Kentucky, lacks the speed and athletic ability to be anything more than a two-down run stuffer. Summary: The Titans sandwiched this draft with Lewan, a very good choice, and Mettenberger, a potential steal. In between it was largely by the numbers, run-of-the-mill stuff. FINAL GRADE: B Undrafted rookie free agent signings: WR Jaz Reynolds, Oklahoma; C Gabe Ikard, Oklahoma; TE David Wright, Westminster; RB Antonio Andrews, Western Kentucky; DB Gabriel Lynn, Oklahoma; DE James Gayle, Virginia Tech; WR Josh Stewart, Oklahoma State; WR Eric Ward, Texas Tech; K Travis Coons, Washington; OL Justin McCaray, Central Florida; DE Jamall Marell, Rutgers; S Hakeem Smith, Louisville; WR Derel Walker, Texas A&M; CB Rishard Anderson, Syracuse; OL William Poehls, Montana NFL Jerseys China . Ramirez signed a minor league deal with the Cubs on Sunday and will be a player-coach at Triple-A Iowa after he gets some at-bats in extended spring training at the teams facility in Mesa, Arizona. The 41-year-old Ramirez is a . cheap jerseys .B. -- Canadas Rachel Homan had ideal preparation for the playoffs at the Ford World Curling Championships with a pair of hard-fought wins over tenacious opponents Thursday.DENVER -- Peyton Manning welcomed Wes Welker back into the lineup with a touchdown toss and the Denver Broncos narrowly avoided a repeat of their playoff slip from last year, advancing to the AFC championship game with a 24-17 win over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday. The Broncos (14-3) took a 17-0 lead into the fourth quarter. Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers then capitalized on an injury to cornerback Chris Harris Jr. to stage a comeback reminiscent of Baltimores shocking win at Denver exactly a year earlier. This time, however, Manning rescued the Broncos from the brink of another crushing collapse and sent them into the title game for the first time in eight seasons. Theyll host the New England Patriots (13-4) on Sunday. Get ready for Brady vs. Manning once more. In the most recent matchup of QBs with Hall of Fame credentials, Tom Brady and the Patriots rallied past Manning and the visiting Broncos 34-31 in overtime on Nov. 24. "Its the Broncos versus the Patriots and certainly Tom and I have played against each other a lot," Manning said after beating San Diego. "But when you get to the AFC championship, its about two good teams that have been through a lot to get there." Manning ended a personal three-game post-season skid in winning for the first time since leading Indianapolis over the Jets 30-17 in the AFC championship game on Jan. 24, 2010. Manning completed 25 of 36 passes for 230 yards and two TDs, numbers that werent quite up to the standards he set during a record-breaking regular season when he established new benchmarks with 55 TD throws and 5,447 yards through the air. But it was windy and the Broncos were intent on establishing the run and controlling the clock. San Diego had Manning and his high-octane offence cooling their cleats on the sideline for more than 38 minutes in both of their meetings during the regular season, when both teams won on the road. Denver had the ball for 35 minutes, 27 seconds in this game, to San Diegos 24:33. After gaining just 18 yards on the ground against San Diego last month, the Broncos ran for 133 yards, including 82 by Knowshon Moreno, whose 3-yard TD run put them ahead 24-7 with 8:12 left. After that, things got interesting. Quentin Jammer, who gave up San Diegos first TD, a 16-yarder to Keenen Allen early in the fourth quarter, surrendered a 49-yard catch by Allen on fourth-and-5 from the San Diego 25 with seven minutes left. That led to Allens second TD, also from 16 yards out, that pulled the Chargers to 24-14 with 5:43 leftt. China Jerseys. Eric Decker then made his third big blunder of the day, flubbing the onside kick, which San Diego recovered. Nick Novaks 30-yard field goal with 3:53 pulled the Chargers (10-8) to within a touchdown. Novak followed with a pooch kick, and Trindon Holliday secured the ball at the Denver 27 with 3:51 left. Manning converted two third-down throws to tight end Julius Thomas, the first one a nifty 21-yarder on third-and-17 from his 20 and then a third-and-6 from his 45-yard line. Then, on third-and-1, Moreno burst up the middle for 5 yards with a minute left and the offensive linemen high-fived each other. All Manning had to do at that point was take a knee -- just like he did last year at the end of regulation after Jacoby Jones had hauled in Joe Flaccos 70-yard desperation throw with 31 seconds left to tie the game. In that game, coach John Fox ordered Manning to take a knee even though he had three timeouts left so he could take his chances in overtime. And the Broncos lost 38-35 in double overtime. Those boos were replaced by cheers in this game, the scowls by smiles. Allen finished with six catches for 142 yards as the Chargers lost for the first time in six weeks. The Broncos took a 14-0 halftime lead that could have easily been 21-0 if not for blunders by Decker, who tripped with no defender near him at the San Diego 30-yard line after a 47-yard punt return. Then, on third-and-goal from the 4, Manning hit him with a perfect pass as he cut across the back of the end zone, but it bounced off his chest and into the arms of linebacker Donald Butler with 30 seconds left. Manning threw up his arms in disbelief after his first red zone interception of the season -- following 39 red-zone TDs. Thomas also had a turnover, but it wasnt that costly as Novak slipped and his foot hit the ground on a 53-yard field goal try that was short and wide left. The Chargers were the only opponent to win in Denver all season, prevailing 27-20 exactly a month earlier when the Broncos were missing Welker (concussion) and went 2 for 9 on third down. Welker finished with six catches for 38 yards, although he dropped his first pass and also couldnt hold onto another 27-yarder at the goal line. Manning led a 14-play, 86-yard drive that chewed up 7 minutes on Denvers first drive. He capped it with a 2-yard strike to Demaryius Thomas, then hit Welker from 3 yards out in the second quarter to make it 14-0. This was the 109th meeting between the original AFL rivals but the first in the post-season. cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
