NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Legendary senior writer jclombardi reports judge rules ending NFL lockout.

U.S. District Court Judge Susan Richard Nelson has granted NFL players their motion for a preliminary injunction: therefore lifting the lockout that was imposed by owners on March 11, league and union sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Mortensen. Neither side had an official reaction, pending the official posting by Judge Nelson but NFL is expected to immediately request a stay of the ruling until it can make its arguments before the US Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit. A judicial assistant for Judge Nelson, whose chambers are in St. Paul, declined comment on whether the judge has enjoined the lockout, according to the sources. The NFL is expected to release a statement shortly after Judge Nelson’s ruling is posted. The immediate impact of the ruling on the status of an estimated 500 free agent players and other player transactions is uncertain. If the league does not get the court to stay the ruling pending an appeal, the league will have to open its doors for players. The NFL also will have to decide whether to impose a similar system that has been in place under the previous collective bargaining agreement that expired on March 11.

1. Carolina – Cam Newton, QB, Auburn

If I were in charge of the Panthers (which they are probably glad I'm not) Cam Newton would be nowhere on my radar with this pick.  If I were going to go quarterback, Gabbert would be the pick.  Most likely I would go with one of the truly elite talents of this class like Patrick Peterson or A.J. Green.  None of that changes the fact, however, that all signs are pointing towards the Panthers taking the ultimate gamble with Newton.

2. Denver – Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama

Denver is weak up and down the middle of their defense.  I discard all of Elway's quarterback talk and give the Broncos some strength on the defensive line in Dareus.  Dareus is big and fast, and should help the Broncos from becoming the worst team at notching sacks in the NFL for the second year in a row.

3. Buffalo – Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M

I would hate to be Buffalo right now.  There they are having to choose between Von Miller, A.J. Green, Patrick Peterson, and Blaine Gabbert.  That is certainly not an easy choice.  Miller is a splashy pick, however, and should be versatile enough to excel in whatever type of defense Buffalo chooses moving forward.

4. Cincinnati – A.J. Green, WR, Georgia

Guys like Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert might be worth reaching on for truly desperate quarterback-needy teams.  I'm not convinced that the Bengals qualify as truly desperate yet.  Although, they are experiencing a huge amount of change on offense, so taking care of the #1 receiver spot is going to go a long ways towards stabilizing things on that side of the ball.

5. Arizona – Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU

Arizona has to face the choice of bringing in yet another unproven quarterback or risking the wait and trying to find a veteran in free agency.  I wouldn't be overly surprised if Gabbert is the pick here, but I have to think they are going to take the best player on their board in Peterson and wait on finding a solution at quarterback.

6. Cleveland – Julio Jones, WR, Alabama

The Browns seem like one of the biggest wild cards in the top 10.  There are really no positions, other than center, that should make that front office completely comfy.  However, Colt McCoy appears to be their guy moving forward, and he desperately needs some playmakers.  If the Vikings, Dolphins, or Redskins liked Gabbert enough, they might all be on the phone talking to Cleveland.

7. San Francisco – Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri

I have little doubt that Jim Harbaugh will be on the hunt for a new quarterback at some point in this Draft, and he reportedly tried to recruit Gabbert out of high school.  Gabbert, like all quarterbacks in this Draft, has analysts completely undecided as to where he should end up.  One thing everyone can agree on, however, is that the Niners need a quarterback of the future.

8. Tennessee – Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn

There has been a lot of talk recently of Fairley sliding out of the top 10 (please, please fall to the Vikings) but I'm not buying it.  Once thought of as the consensus top prospect of this class, Fairley lands here with the hopes of making Titans fans forget all about the good old days of a dominant Haynesworth creating havoc on the defensive line.  Fairley is my favorite player in this Draft and last season he was a man amongst boys.

9. Dallas – Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska

Immediately following the 2010 season, Jerry Jones expressed that his defense disappointed him more than anything and I think, at that point in time, he was being honest.  That is why I think we can politely cast Tyron Smith talk to the side a bit and place our focus on guys like Amukamara and J.J. Watt.  The way this Draft shakes out, the Cowboys could still get a decent pass rusher in the second round, while the cornerback talent sees a greater drop off after the top three guys.

Click HERE to read the rest

A seemingly innocuous interview between Vikings Tight End Visanthe Shiancoe and Ivan Carter, host of Comcast SportsNet's Washington Post Live, did manage to drum up a little bit of news. Carter asked Shiancoe – who played High School football locally for Montgomery Blair High School and was a first team All-MEAC player at Morgan State University in Baltimore – about his thoughts on the whole McNabb situation.

Shiancoe responded:

"You know what, as a matter of fact, I seen him out the other day, and we had a little alcohol talk, should I say, a little alcohol talk," Shiancoe said. "And I told him, 'Hey, look , you know, Minnesota might be a good fit for you. I think that he would probably agree on that. Who knows if he wants to stay here anymore, right, being in those circumstances? I don't know if he wants to or not, but I wouldn't want to stay here. Speaking for myself, I wouldn't want to stay in this predicament right here."

The Vikings are a team with very little certainty around their quarterback position, heading into the 2011 season. Now that Brett Favre has seemingly retired for good, their cupboard is essentially bare at that position. They've decided to part ways with quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, and are not sold on the idea of Joe Webb starting for the team in 2011 (or past that).

McNabb could give the Vikings another shot at a deep playoff run, like Favre did in 2009. The team is stocked with talent and veterans at many key positions, and acquiring McNabb could allow them to use their first round pick (#12 overall) to address another position of need.

Final Draft Predictions: Writer's Picks

Here are the Ravens Gab writers' final predictions for the upcoming NFL draft (rounds 1-4). Let us know who you think the Ravens should draft.

ROUND 1:

Gene Winner

Jimmy Smith – CB – Colorado

The Ravens have needed a playmaker at the corner position for quite sometime now. The defense has to improve their pass rush, but solid corner play will help open up the blitz packages. Smith is 6-2, with 4.4 speed and is one of the top corners in the draft.  Smith may have character issues, but the Ravens have enough leadership in their lockeroom to keep him on the straight and narrow path.

Matt Jergensen

Justin Houston – DE – Georgia

Houston is an explosive pass rusher who has played against the top competition in the nation in the SEC. He's very fluid and looks like a high impact player at the next level. The Ravens need a compliment to Terrell Suggs. Here he is.

Jonathan Scruggs

Anthony Castanzo – OT -Boston College

Castonzo projects as a top flight Left Tackle, who sports extremely high intelligence and a superb motor. The knock on Castanzo is that he is limited in his power/overall athleticism and needs to add significant muscle to his lower body. That being said, he's a middle round talent, so if he falls to the Ravens at 26 he'd be hard to pass up.

Click HERE to read the rest

Hall of Fame running back Joe Perry passed away this morning in Chandler, Arizona. He was 84 years old. Perry was well known as an extremely quick runner who earned the nickname “The Jet” during his 16-year career with the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Colts. He was the first player to rush for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons and at one point was the NFL’s all-time leading rusher.

“All of us here at the Pro Football Hall of Fame are extremely saddened to learn of the passing of the great Joe Perry,” commented Pro Football Hall of Fame President/Executive Director Steve Perry. “Joe was not only a key figure in the history of professional football, but he was a great friend to us here at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was a frequent visitor to Canton for our annual Enshrinement ceremony as well as many other Pro Football Hall of Fame events. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to his wife Donna and the entire Perry family.”

Perry began his professional career following World War II military service in the Navy as an undrafted free-agent with the San Francisco 49ers of the All-America Football Conference in 1948 and quickly made a name for himself his rookie year when he gained 562 yards rushing and 10 TDs with an eye-popping 7.3 yards per carry average.

NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock has a message for the Panthers if they’re seriously contemplating choosing Cam Newton with the first overall pick on Thursday: Buyer beware.

Mayock said on the Dan Patrick show on Monday that while Newton has all the physical tools needed for a superstar QB worthy of the No. 1 overall pick, he’s concerned that the Auburn product doesn’t have the heart to be a great player in the NFL

“It’s just this gut feeling I have that I don’t know how great he wants to be. ”

“What it really comes down to .. is football IQ and work ethic. And if he wants to be the best quarterback in the game, I’m all in. I love it.

“But something tells me that he’ll be content to be a multi-millionaire who’s pretty good. And that doesn’t get it done for me.”

Linda Trischitta of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports the 8-second, 911 call made after Dolphin Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall was stabbed on April 22 was released Monday by the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

“Please come, it’s an emergency,” a breathless female caller says.

The dispatcher asks her, “Come where? Hello?”

“Please come, it’s an emergency,” the woman says again.

“Come to where?” the dispatcher asks before the caller hangs up.

The incident that prompted the call for help arose between newlyweds Marshall, 27, and his wife Nichi Nogami-Marshall, 26, at the couple’s Southwest Ranches mansion.

Senior writer jclombardi–what Packers position is 1st round priority of draft?

The first season for head coach Chan Gailey and Buddy Nix was a forgetable one in Buffalo.  They took over a complete mess of a roster and ushered in a new era with a first round draft choice of RB C.J. Spiller.  From that moment on, dark and difficult times awaited the Bills.  Buffalo began the season 0-8.  Draft bust Trent Edwards was released.  Spiller's impact never came about, with the Bills finishing 4-12 and of their four wins not one was against a team with a winning record.  But as bad as things were, it wasn't all 16 weeks of dark clouds and dreary days.

Ryan Fitzpatrick was a stabilizing figure at quarterback, throwing for 23 touchdowns and 3,000 yards.  Steve Johnson emerged as 1,000-yard receiver and Kyle Williams established himself as the Bills' best defensive threat along the line.  Now the question remains, how do the Bills take the next step?  They largely still have a roster void of top caliber talent and they're still in a division with Tom Brady's New England Patriots and the Super Bowl threatening New York Jets.

So we know the Bills will use the draft and free agency (whenever it happens) to continue to improve.  Let's take a look at what areas the Bills must address in order to make 2011 a success.

1.  Defensive line.  The run defense is brutal and that's keeping if PG out there since we are a family environment here.  Buffalo was the league's worst-ranked run defense in 2010, allowing nearly 170 yards per game on the ground.  Needless to say their transition from the 4-3 to the 3-4 defense experienced plenty of growing pains.  Kyle Williams turned in a Pro Bowl season and he's bloomed into a tenacious threat on the defensive line.  That's the good news.  Bad news is the Bills essentially have nothing else around him in the form of production.  Buffalo is hoping to see increased development from Torrell Troup and Alex Carrington.  Still, the Bills must find players capable of stopping the run and getting to opposing quarterbacks.

Click HERE to read the rest