NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Quan Sturdivant, MLB, North Carolina, 6′2 230

Position Ranking: #2

Strengths: Plays with consistently good technique and gap discipline. Natural when taking on blockers, extends arms and bends at the knees to properly disengage. Played all three linebacker positions. Good overall instincts, and goes through his read & keys before releasing in pursuit. Reacts well to the cutback lane and is steady with containment. Attacks downhill against the inside isolation runs. Good footwork in his shuffle. Has the hips/ feet to be effective in underneath coverage. 3-down linebacker who played zone coverage regularly and was asked to spy athletic quarterbacks. Takes good angles to the ball carrier and has the speed to consistently get out in front (when healthy). Has been a starter since his freshman year. Team captain.

Needs Improvement: Doesn’t show burst in his release or when closing on the ball carrier. Isn’t always quick to disengage from lineman (despite technique) and will need to improve his overall strength. Could improve his aggressiveness, at times it looked as if he was going through the motions; won’t always attack lineman or run hard against plays away from him. Tackling technique was off/on. Wasn’t used much close to the line scrimmage or on blitz calls.

Bottom Line: Sturdivant missed 5 games this season and didn’t look fully healthy until his final game once he returned. When he’s healthy and playing loose his physical abilities are very sound. He was clearly a better player last season, and the season prior, as he had better support along the front four. Sturdivant’s instincts, technique, and gap discipline are professional level. His size and overall athleticism are starter caliber if placed in the right system.

The best fit for Sturdivant would be to remain in a 4-3, zone dominant scheme, which is employed by many NFL teams. Playing the weakside in a Tampa-2 would be an ideal spot, as Sturdivant would be free to roam and have the protection up front to be the player he was the two previous seasons. Overall, Sturdivant isn’t a dynamic or powerful linebacker but is a consistent, solid football player with good measurables, who won’t give up many big plays due to missed assignments or inabilities.

Draft Projection: Mid 2nd to mid 3rd round.

The Bills have released defensive lineman Marcus Stroud, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com reports. The Bills have confirmed the transaction. Acquired from the Jaguars for a pair of picks in the 2008 NFL Draft, Stroud (6-6, 310) has started 45 of the last 48 games for the Bills, totaling 150 tackles and 7.5 quarterbacks.

A defensive tackle in a 4-3 defense throughout his career, the 2001 first-round pick out of Georgia moved to defense end when the Bills converted to a 3-4 defense under new defensive coordinator George Edwards in 2010. Stroud turns 33 this summer, and was due a $1 million roster bonus on top of a $4.5 million base salary in 2011.

John Oehser of jaguars.com reports that Maurice Jones Drew confirmed he played hurt all of the 2010 season before finally shutting it down for the last two games.

"You’re not supposed to tell people when you’re hurting," he said. "We signed up for a game that’s a physical game. You get hurt, and it happens. I think some of the guys understood after the fact – when they saw I couldn’t walk after a couple of games. But sometimes you have to do what you have to go out there and help your team win games.”

Jones-Drew, who will enter his sixth NFL season, rushed for 1,324 yards and five touchdowns on 299 carries this past season – that, a year after rushing for 1,399 yards and 15 touchdowns on 312 carries.

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The Houston Texans may have a chance at signing the free agent manhandling defensive tackle, Shaun Rodgers.  Why?  Well Houston's KILT recently interviewed Rogers who said it'd be a "dream scenario" to sign with his hometown team, the Houston Texans.  Rogers played high school football at LaPorte High in LaPorte, Texas.  He college football at Texas.   While Rogers has expressed interest in the Texans, the Texans have not reportedly returned any interest to Rogers.

Currently, Shaun Rogers says he's in no rush to be signed. And while there are reports that the Browns released Rogers because of his age and his 2011 due $17 million contract, the Browns general manager has announced that Rogers was fed up with losing.  So far, Rogers has visited the Chiefs, Saints and Redskins.  Washington's Comcast Sport's Net reported that the Redskins are out because Rogers wants too much money. NFL.com's Jason La Canfora reported four days ago that upwards of one-third of the league's teams have contacted Rogers.

The Steelers are committed to keeping LaMarr Woodley in black and gold, even if it means putting the franchise tag on him.

That’s the rumor from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who says that you can put it down that the Steelers WILL put the tag on Woodley before the deadline on February 23rd.

Woodley is set to be a free agent this offseason, this after finished up his final year on his rookie contract that paid him $500,000 in the 2010 season.

The outside linebacker recorded 60 tackles, 13 sacks and two interceptions over the course of the 2010 season and playoffs.

If the Steelers put the tag on him, he will have to be paid the average of the top salaries at his position in 2011. You can bet the Steelers want to ink him to a long-term deal, meaning the tag won’t be on him for very long.

The history of the Steelers when it comes to tagged players is to get a deal done, and that’s going to be the plan with Woodely as well.

While the league and the union grapple over a new collective bargaining agreement for 2011 and beyond, the Bengals continue to move forward with various offseason dilemmas including replacing coaching and medical staff personnel, and figuring out what to do about Carson Palmer's power play and Chad Ochocinco's eccentricities.

Meanwhile, it turns out that despite the lack of a CBA, the team can designate a franchise player. The Patriots tagged OT Logan Mankins Monday, and the Eagles have already tagged Michael Vick. The Chargers tagged WR Vincent Jackson today, as did the Colts with Peyton Manning and the Ravens with DT Haloti Ngata.

So, in exploring who the Bengals might designate, there are only two players worthy of it: CB Johnathan Joseph and RB Cedric Benson. However, Hobson over at the official mouthpiece says it's unlikely either of them will be tagged (at least in the short term):

"But no matter what happens, don't look for the Bengals to use the franchise tag on either of their two key free agents, cornerback Johnathan Joseph or running back Cedric Benson. They want to sign both to long-term deals with sane salary cap hits. But not before the CBA is done because they want to make sure the deals fit whatever system they get."

Frankly, it sounds like a solid strategy for the Bengals considering that neither player is irreplaceable. Tagging Vick was a no-brainer for the Eagles, no matter what becomes of a new CBA simply because he's that valued in the league right now. Same with Manning. Mankins protects Tom Brady, so that one is also understandable. Ngata is a dominant defensive tackle, and those just don’t grow on trees. The Jackson tagging makes less sense to me, since he's already expressed agitation with the team's handling of his contracts and held out last year. He is a 6-foot, 5 inch receiver in his prime, however, so you can't necessarily knock it.

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After the NFLPA saw Antonio Cromartie vs. Matt Hasselbeck and Jay Cutler vs. seemingly the world unfold on Twitter over the past few weeks, sub-140 character jabs have now been thrown between player and prominent ESPN reporter.

According to Fanhouse.com, Adam Schefter’s retweet of a comment touching on Ravens receiver Donte Stallworth’s DUI/manslaughter conviction has sparked the latest tiff in the Twitterverse.

Schefter’s retweet was actually in defense of imprisoned Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress rather than an intentional slam of Stallworth. Schefter’s retweet from another Twitter user read “Donte Stallworth and Leonard Little killed people. Burress hurt himself only, but he got harshest punishment. Travesty!”

There was no response from Rams’ retired defensive end Leonard Little but the tweet clearly bothered Stallworth, who was sentenced to 30 days in jail and suspended for the 2009 NFL season after pleading guilty to DUI/manslaughter for an incident in March 2009. Stallworth joined the Ravens prior to the 2010 campaign, while Burress awaits his expected release from prison on June 6 after a two-year sentence for shooting himself in the leg with an unlicensed handgun at a Manhattan nightclub in November 2008.

Stallworth’s countertweet: “You’re so concerned about my boy Plax, if you haven’t visited him or wrote him then keep quiet until you do! @AdamSchefter.”

These two Saturday tweets were followed by Sunday silence before Stallworth brought things down a notch on Monday with a series of comments via @DonteStallworth.

“Twit fam, thanks for all your positive tweets. I’ve said it many times that you have been an integral part of helping me get through my days. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, I get it. It would be asinine to think everyone will forgive me of my past transgressions like God has. In what I feel has been an attempt by him 2 perpetuate indignation towards me by juxtaposing my situation w/friend Plax on SEVERAL occasions. “In a rare occurrence, I let my emotions engulf my rational thought when I have ALWAYS ignored him and many others. For that fam, I apologize. God knows I’ve been sincerely contrite. I am human but I promise you I will not react to negativity on my timeline EVER again. Love y’all.”

Still no further mention of Stallworth from @AdamSchefter as of Tuesday night.

Darren Rovell of CNBC reports that Michael Vick has decided to not appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show after all. The move comes after the interview was booked for next week for Vick, who had the franchise tag placed on him Tuesday.

Vick’s camp has thus far made no statement explaining the cancellation but it does appear to be a curious move. Oprah asks some pretty penetrating questions but has a reputation for being fair.

One would assume that Vick made the initial decision to appear so that the public could see how he has changed. But no one cancels on Oprah. Once you agree to appear and then renege, the public perception is that you have something to hide.

The Raiders and defensive tackle Richard Seymour have come to terms on a deal that will keep him in silver and black for two years in exchange for a whopping $30 million dollars that will include $22.5 million in guaranteed money.

The deal allows Oakland to avoid using a franchise tag on Seymour for a second straight season. He got about $12.4 million last season and would have been in line for a salary of about $14.9 million next season with the tag.

The Raiders gave New England a 2011 first-round pick for Seymour before the 2009 season and owner Al Davis made it a priority to keep Seymour.

The deal also frees the Raiders up to use the tag to keep another potential free agent, such as tight end Zach Miller.

Stefen Wisniewski, OG/C, Penn State, 6′3 297

Position Ranking: #3

Strengths: Plays with very good overall technique and balance; brings his feet along in space and isn’t easily tripped up. Shows the ability to be effective on pulls inside and out, sealing the edge, and clearing the inside running lane. Gets to the second level and quickly locates a target, consistently neutralizing linebackers. A technician in run support. Uses angles and hand placement to gain leverage and create a crease for the running back.

Very good at establishing an inside fit on the defender and sustains blocks in both run support and pass protection; maintains hand placement even if he loses his base. Sets himself quickly in pass protection while maintaining choppy feet to mirror the defender. Very good lower body strength when he sinks his hips; holds the point of attack with consistency when he plays with bend and locks out his arms. Able to handle much bigger defenders when he sinks and anchors. Has mastered his upper body technique, and uses arms and hands extremely well. A three year starter and hasn’t missed a game due to injury. Started 26 games at right guard and 13 games at center (2009 season).

Needs Improvement: Lacks initial quickness off the snap and often has to recover or reposition himself. Isn’t always able to get secure on the defender with his lateral blocking; loses the step. Has better lower body strength than upper body strength and could use more size up top. Doesn’t play with a mean streak and is unable to overpower defenders off the ball. There were a few miscues along the interior in games I observed which led to sacks (between him and center). Has adequate athleticism, but won’t be as effective one-on-one at the next level. Doesn’t always sink hips and can be driven into the pocket.

Bottom Line: Stefan Wisniewski will immediately bring a reliable, technique sound presence to an NFL offensive line. He won’t make many mistakes or be a weak link along the front wall. What he lacks in pure size and strength he makes up for with blocking angles and technique commitment. His ability to play center and guard will also add to his value and bring depth at both positions.

I feel he could be a very good starter in the NFL if he is able to add size and strength to his upper body; technique and lower body strength are very good but upper body strength is adequate at best when translating to the next level. My concern was that his size and strength hadn’t improved from last season, so it may be that Wisniewski has maxed out size to his frame. If this is the case it may keep him from reaching his full potential, but shouldn’t keep him from being a reliable player for the team that drafts him.

Draft Projection: Mid 2nd to early 3rd round.