NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Seems that lately NFL players are starting to try and make comparisons of the current NFL lockout to that of slavery. First it was Adrian Peterson, Vikings running back, who said via Twitter – “It’s modern-day slavery, you know?”

Then it was Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall, who opened up another can of worms with the following Tweet. “Anyone with knowledge of the slave trade and the NFL could say that these two parallel each other.”

Uh oh.

Mendenhall took a lot of shot for the comments, and now is trying to explain what he meant by the comments, stating that he in no way meant the NFL was like slavery.

“If you look back and dissect what I said, I [didn't] say that the NFL was slavery, I said that they parallel each other. Look up the word parallel.”

“This means that they’re not the same thing, but they run the same course. These paths will never cross, but they mirror each other.”

“I could break down how, but that would take an amount of ideology and big words that a lot of you wouldn’t understand.”

Mendenhall in the past has been nothing but well spoken and usually is a good interview. Why he would try to jump on Peterson’s comments is beyond me. Seems that this lockout is starting to get the better of players to the point where they have lost their minds and are starting to say things that make no sense whatsoever.

Hopefully the rash of feedback that Mendenhall is getting will tell him that he should just do what most players are doing – stay quiet and let this thing play out.

MSL team Sporting KC announced Wednesday that Chad Ochocinco will join the team on a four-day trial starting next Tuesday, after which the team can decide to extend the trial according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.

"We’re always searching for players who can help our team and bringing in new talent," Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes said in a statement. "We know that Chad is an exceptional athlete and that he loves the sport of soccer, and he did play a lot when he was younger. We’re excited to see how his skills will translate once he arrives next week and begins training with our team."

Ochocinco's decision to try out with Sporting KC comes as the NFL and its players remain engaged of a complicated labor situation that threatens the 2011 season and could drag out for months.

"Due to the NFL lockout, I'm excited to be able to follow my childhood dream of playing for a Major League Soccer team," Ochocinco said. Ochocinco started playing soccer at age 4 but chose to focus on football in high school.

Some thoughts:
1. You can check out my first five-round mock here: http://www.nflgridirongab.com/2011/02/09/5-round-minnesota-mock/
2. I wanted to open it up with trades, what the GM and coach are thinking and what I think of the pick.

TRADE, 1st round pick (12th overall) to the Jacksonville Jaguars for 1st round pick (16th overall) and 3rd round pick
TRADE, 1st round pick (16th overall) to the New Orleans Saints for 1st round pick (24th overall) and 3rd round pick
The Jaguars have needs at linebacker, corner and wide receiver. I see them trading up and getting Julio Jones, Cam Newton, Prince Amukamara or Rahim Moore. They gotta have an attraction to go with Marcedes Lewis and Mojo to sell tickets. I think the Saints will find a plummeting player (Ryan Kerrigan? Jimmy Smith?) and will trade up.

1st round, 24th overall: Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor. Leslie Frazier starts to rebuild the line. The versatile Taylor was a star at the Senior Bowl and sky-rocketed on Mayock’s mock from the 4th to the 1st between that and his combine and pro day displays. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezk5xKe_vHg

2nd round, 43rd overall: Andy Dalton, QB, TCU. I’m a little higher for the upside on Ponder-Locker-Mallett but I also think Dalton is a safer pick than Ponder due to the Ponder’s injury history and he is far better suited to start, say mid-season, if your stopgap gets hurt than Locker or Mallett. Dalton will have moved past Rhett Bomar on the depth chart by then. This pick would also punk the Bears if they were thinking of drafting him but I actually think Ruskell (I doubt Angelo will have input on any wideouts) will take wide receiver and O-line in the first two rounds. After the Favre fiasco and T-Jack’s lack of huddle command, it will be nice to see someone come in who will endear himself to his teammates with his work ethic and leadership and I’m sure that appeals to the Vikings.

3rd round, 80th overall: Luke Stocker, TE, Tennessee. The general vibe I have gotten from Frazier is that – on defense – is stop the run. On offense, the Vikings want to get bigger targets after seeing how the offense looked without Rice and Harvin. http://www.nfl.com/goto?id=09000d5d81eaf252

3rd round, 88th overall: Kenrick Ellis, DT, Hampton. At this point, Spielman feels good about getting four players in his top 78 Big Board. The duo of Taylor and Ellis can be counted on to bring immediate contributions. The McCoy-Price duo didn’t do much right away for the Bucs. Both ended their seasons on IR but McCoy made great strides as both a run-stuffer and pass rusher. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Lqj3ehC9HA

4th round, 105th overall: Derek Newton, T, Arkansas State. At this point, the Vikings are thinking O-line instead of BPA. This might be both need and BPA. This guy is pretty athletic at 6′5″ and 311 lb. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-THnMo2Jss

5th round, 136th overall: Owen Spencer, WR, NC State. I had Lester Jean here, and he’s an even bigger target. I don’t know if Spencer will get past the third round but maybe smart GMs with need at other positions will let him be BPA round after round, hoping to steal him in a late round. He’s like a cross between (soon to be former) Panther Steve Smith and Davone Bess. EXCELLENT VALUE and an instant upgrade over Bernard Berrian. http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-combine/09000d5d81eaba79/2011-combine-workout-Owen-Spencer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRtF4v3JVi

5th round, 147th overall: Shiloh Keo, SS, Idaho. A guy Deion Sanders and Mike Mayock are high on. The Vikings need safeties with the strong-armed quarterbacks of their division. Keo is a smart and sound player.

They will likely get and end in the 6th and some more line prospects with their final picks. NOTE: some people hate trades in mock drafts. If the Vikings stay where they’re at, I think they’ll take Prince Amukamara.

The owners are going to vote on a major possible rule change next week when the annual meetings take place in New Orleans, and the change has to do with kickoffs.

The competition committee is recommending that the kickoff be moved up from the 30 to the 35-yard and that defenders can only line up within five yards of the ball. Before, many defenders lined up so they had a 15-yard head start. Since the field is shortened, the other side of the proposal is the touchback is brought out to the 25-yard line instead of the 20.

Rich McKay, chairman of the competition committee, said in a conference call that he expects the number of touchbacks to rise, but not by a significant amount. The change sounds like it is going to hinder teams with good kickoff units, and more drives will start at the 20-yard-line, putting the stress back on the offense to go 80 yards.

Randy Moss, in a rare radio interview, told KFANAM1130 out of Minnesota, once again professed his love for the Patriots according to Ian Rapoport of the Boston Herald.

"If you ask me where my heard and where I'm happy is . . . I love Tom Brady and I love playing for Coach Belichick," Moss told the station.

Moss was traded to Minnesota, then dumped by the Vikings, before being picked up by Tennessee. His numbers weren't exactly eye-catching at either stop.

"I got out of (Minnesota), went to Tennessee, that worked out OK, not too much," he said, "but you gotta live and die with what you believe in”

As pointed out in today’s Charlotte Observer, there’s no denying that the Panthers seem to have their eyes at this point fixed on taking one player come April 28th at the NFL Draft – Auburn QB Cam Newton.

The Panthers will work out Newton today, this after having six scouts at Auburn’s Pro Day, and also having a couple meals with Newton and his family.

As the story points out, this franchise for too many years has watched other teams with franchise QB’s – like Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, Mike Vick in Atlanta and now Philly, Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh, and even Peyton Manning in Indy. It’s time for the Panthers to get their own franchise QB – and Newton’s that guy.

Click HERE to read the rest

Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post reports Hampton defensive lineman Kenrick Ellis is drawing serious interest from several NFL teams, including the Steelers, Eagles, Broncos, and the Packers, according to league sources with knowledge of the situation.

The 6-foot-5, 346-pounder has drawn second-round grades from several draft analysts.

Per a source, Ellis interviewed well at the NFL scouting combine and was accountable for past transgressions that got him dismissed from South Carolina (reportedly failed drug tests) before transferring to Hampton and being suspended for one game.

“We like the kid,” an NFL source said. “We were impressed with him.”

Ellis addressed the off-field problems at the NFL scouting combine during an interview with a crowd of media.

“I had character issues,” he acknowledged. “I had disciplinary problems. They did everything they could. It just didn’t work out for me. I had to get out of there.

“I had to look within myself and change a lot of things within myself and around me. And after I changed those things, it was pretty much easy after that. I had to realize that I had a problem, and I confronted it and overcame it.”