Blogcasting the National Football League, Blogcasting the NFL

Recently drafted players like Chiefs DT Glenn Dorsey, Jets DE Vernon Gholston, Rams DE Chris Long, Miami T Jake Long and Falcons QB Matt Ryan will learn the importance of personal brand management as part of the new NFL Player Brand University.

In its first year, the program will consist of two brand boot camp sessions designed to teach new players the fundamentals of brand development, by combining their on-field achievements with the community and business opportunities they pursue off-the-field. The sessions, which are mandatory for rookies and open to veterans, will be held at 19 NFL team facilities throughout May and June (beginning in Chicago tomorrow).

What a great idea. The program is part of an NFL Player Development initiative to assist players in taking a proactive approach to their career development by fully utilizing club and league resources to positively position themselves in their community. That means they have a small window of tremendous opportunity and they’d better take advantage of it. According to Michael Haynes, the NFL’s Vice President of Player and Employee Development:

“NFL Player Brand University is designed to help players develop and execute a brand strategy that will help them maximize their NFL experience and enjoy a successful career within and beyond the game. Our goal is to give every player who comes through the league the ability to fully leverage this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

While learning about brand management, players will work to develop their own Brand Action Plan to define their identity and image goals based on personal preferences and interests. Then players will work with team Player Development staff throughout the season to select opportunities that help them to achieve those objectives. They will be able to use the NFL Brand Playbook throughout their first season as a reference to making wise decisions as they adjust to their new surroundings. NFL Player Brand University’s curriculum will also be included at the Rookie Symposium next month.

Source: NFL Media, Photo: Newscom

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NFL Rookies to Take Part in Player Brand U

Image details: 2008 NFL Draft served by picapp.com

Blogcasting the National Football League, Blogcasting the NFL

This was my fifth straight year covering the NFL Draft on-location in New York City. It never gets old for me. With each passing season, the Draft brings with it a new hope for all 32 teams. And it’s always exciting to be a part of that. I travel to the Super Bowl, to the Scouting Combine, to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement weekend, and to select preseason and regular season games. Each is special in its own right and I enjoy them all, but none quite compares to my love for the NFL Draft.

Photos by David Kindervater

This year, I was among nearly 450 media covering the Draft (not including ESPN and NFL Network who send huge teams). That includes 13 of the top 20 newspapers; media from 12 states plus the District of Columbia; television outlets such as ABC News, CBS News and CNN; international media from England and Japan; and non-sports media such as Forbes, the Financial Times and Wall Street Journal.

The 2008 NFL Draft featured a new “streamlined” format — a later (3 p.m. EST) starting time and shorter time frame for teams to make their selections (10 minutes in today’s first- and second-rounds). It worked. The faster pace kept things exciting and interesting. The first-round concluded in just three hours and 30 minutes, the fastest time since 1990. Check out my 2008 NFL Draft first-round analysis with NFL Draft guru Lloyd Vance.

Photos by David Kindervater

After I got settled into my spot in the press box at Radio City Music Hall, I ventured across the street to check out NFL Draft Fan Central. Like last year, fans had the opportunity to participate in several interactive football activities typically offered during NFL Experience events in the Super Bowl host cities. Among the activities offered at NFL Draft Fan Central were “Quarterback Challenge,” “Goal to Go,” “Stadium Bounce” and “Red Zone.” Fans could also visit the Autograph Stage to meet players from the Giants and Jets and had a chance to win Draft tickets. Those who weren’t lucky enough to get inside could watch live coverage of the Draft on the NFL Network big screen. NFL partners like Hummer, Sprint, Sirius NFL Radio, EA Sports and others had product displays with additional interactive elements. It’s a fun “carnival of football” and takes up a whole block of Manhattan real estate — 51st Street between 6th and 7th avenues.

Once back in the press box, I “enjoyed the show” and offered my thoughts on each of the 31 first-round Draft picks. I also traveled back and forth between the interview room downstairs where the six players (Glenn Dorsey, Vernon Gholston, Chris Long, Jake Long, Darren McFadden and Matt Ryan) who were invited to the Draft were conducting pressers with their families also in attendance. Naturally, Chris Long’s Hall of Fame dad Howie got the most attention. The NFL and Radio City also provided meals for the media across from the Interview Room.

From start to finish, it was a 22-hour day for me (a new record which beat my 21-hour Super Bowl XLII Media Day in Arizona this past January). It was an exhausting day. And of course, it was all worth it.

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NFL Draft 2008: Time to ‘Believe in Now’

Image details: Players Pose On Radio City Music Hall Marquee served by picapp.com

Blogcasting the National Football League, Blogcasting the NFL

Being invited to the NFL Draft is an honor, for sure, but it also means you have to do more than show up on Saturday and put on the cap of your new team. NFL Draft prospects Glenn Dorsey, Vernon Gholston, Chris Long, Jake Long, Darren McFadden and Matt Ryan had a full slate of activities today, including this photo session on top of the marquee at Radio City Music Hall. The players also appeared on NBC’s Today Show, participated in the NFL PLAY 60 Youth Football Festival presented by Nike’s Let Me Play, and met the media at the annual NFL Draft Luncheon at Chelsea Piers, an event I’ve attended in the past. The 2008 NFL Draft is now just a couple days away. I’ll be blogging on-location from Radio City Music Hall Saturday.

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Top NFL Prospects Begin Draft Journey

Image details: ACC Championship – Virginia Tech v Boston College served by picapp.com

Blogcasting the National Football League, Blogcasting the NFL

There will be six players attending this year’s NFL Draft in NYC. Those players are Glenn Dorsey, defensive tackle, Louisiana State; Vernon Gholston, defensive end, Ohio State; Chris Long, defensive end, Virginia; Jake Long, tackle, Michigan; Darren McFadden, running back, Arkansas; and Matt Ryan, quarterback, Boston College.

Ideally (at least as far as the NFL is concerned), these would be the first six players taken, but the Draft process, as we know from past experiences, is not a perfect one. In 2005, Cal QB Aaron Rodgers had to wait until the 24th overall selection before being drafted by the Green Bay Packers. And last year, Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn labored until the 22nd overall pick before being taken by the Cleveland Browns. I guess if there’s a trend, it’s with quarterbacks. Therefore, Matt Ryan — beware. But most Draft experts have him off the board pretty early, including EMQB guest blogger and NFL Draft guru Lloyd Vance, who has Matt going #3 to the Atlanta Falcons in his 2008 Mock NFL Draft.

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Six Players to Attend 2008 NFL Draft

Image details: 2007 NFL Draft served by picapp.com

Blogcasting the National Football League, Blogcasting the NFL

Just about two weeks before the National Football League Draft in NYC, Bill Parcells and the Miami Dolphins have begun contract negotiations with former Michigan OT Jake Long. This doesn’t necessarily mean the Dolphins have ruled out other prospects. It just means they’re talking with Jake Long, who has long been considered one of the top five prospects in this year’s Draft class.

Miami could be using these talks to increase contract leverage with other potential picks, although offensive tackle is certainly a need for this team. They’ve got holes to fill on both sides of the line. But they’ve got a lot of other needs, too. One could argue they’re in a “best player available” mode. And if there’s a superstar on the board, it’s Arkansas RB Darren McFadden. He is considered perhaps the best player available (check out Darren McFadden on the cover of the new ESPN Magazine), but honestly, the Dolphins have greater needs at other positions as long as Ronnie Brown is healthy (check out my recent interview with Ronnie Brown). Then again, that one-two punch at RB would be hard to pass-up. Of course, they’ll need blockers. Oi. It’s complicated, isn’t it? The Dolphins are also believed to be interested in Virginia DE Chris Long, Boston College QB Matt Ryan, Ohio State DE Vernon Gholston and Louisiana State DT Glenn Dorsey. Of course they are.

If I were Bill Parcells, I would trade out of that first pick. Miami is hardly one player away from being where they need to be, so stockpiling Draft choices, saving cap space and building a future for this team would make more sense than taking one player and hoping he turns out to be all he’s been hyped to be. That being said, would there be any takers to move into that number one spot? Sure, but at what price? That is the question. The going rate is roughly $65 million with half of it guaranteed in cash for a player who hasn’t done anything at the pro level. And check this out. During the past 20 seasons, only one team that went first in the Draft won a playoff game that same season. Really makes you want to go first, doesn’t it?

This much we know. Someone’s going to be the number one overall pick and he’s going to get a boatload of money for that honor. Will he deserve it? Only time will tell.

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NFL Draft ‘08: Dolphins Should Trade Down

Even though the roughly 500 reporters (including yours truly) have departed Indianapolis and the Media Work Room is now closed, the player workouts continued with defensive linemen and linebackers getting their reps in today. It feels weird watching this on TV at home and not actually being there in Indy, even though I spent some time looking at NFL Network’s coverage on the monitors in the Interview Room. It’s much different when you know the action is just down the hall. But such is the typical schedule here each year.

In my opinion, Virginia DE Chris Long stole the show among the linemen. Chris was already considered a top five pick by most “experts” and it was good to see that he wasn’t afraid to showcase his skills in spite of that. That really said something to me. He had a 34-inch vertical, a 4.75-40 and excellent performance in the drills he took part in. Plus, I’ve seen him interview and he really seems like a kid that has it together. Chris gets my vote as the can’t-miss Draft choice of 2008. He’s obviously supremely talented. He loves the game. He’s confident. He’s humble. And he just plain seems to “get it” when it comes to what it takes to make it in the NFL. Ohio State’s Vernon Gholston certainly made his presence felt, winning the Bench Press, Broad Jump and Vert Jump. He’s the real deal. I also liked what Notre Dame’s Trevor Laws did. He has good lateral movement and body control for a chubby guy. He’s a good athlete even if he doesn’t really look the part.

The linebacker drills were completely dominated by Purdue’s Stanford Keglar and Georgia Tech’s Gary Guyton. Literally. One or the other won every drill. My friends from NFL Draft Scout said their Combine performances have improved their stock and could get them picked in the fourth or fifth round now. Two of the top linebackers in the Draft, Penn State’s Dan Connor and Southern California’s Keith Rivers, did not participate in drills or tests Monday. Dan left Indianapolis early with an intestinal virus (blech), and Keith apparently tweaked his right ankle. That’s a shame because I was really looking forward to seeing both of these players workout.

Here are the winning numbers for defensive linemen and linebackers in their drills:

Defensive Linemen – Bench Press (Vernon Gholston, Ohio State, 37); Broad Jump (Vernon Gholston, Ohio State, 10′5″); Vert Jump (Vernon Gholston, Ohio State, 35′5″); 3-Cone Drill (Cliff Avril, Purdue, 6.90); 20-yard Shuttle (Chris Long, Virginia, 4.21); 40-yard Dash (Marcus Howard, Georgia, 4.45).

Linebackers – Bench Press (Stanford Keglar, Purdue, 29); Broad Jump (Gary Guyton, Georgia Tech, 10′6″ and Stanford Keglar, Purdue, 10′6″); Vert Jump (Gary Guyton, Georgia Tech, 36′5″); 3-Cone Drill (Stanford Keglar, Purdue, 6.70); 20-yard Shuttle (Stanford Keglar, Purdue, 3.98); 60-yard Shuttle (Stanford Keglar, Purdue, 11.43); 40-yard Dash (Gary Guyton, Georgia Tech, 4.47).

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NFL Scouting Combine 2008: Day Five

Mike Mayock watches college football’s best players. All year. That’s all he does. I only pick up on who’s good in college football from time-to-time, becoming especially attentive around Combine time, of course. Mike and I joked about his job a couple years ago during an interview because he thought it was “pretty sad” to be so devoted to this cause. Well, it’s turned into a nice career for the NFL Network Draft guru. He now rivals ESPN’s Mel Kiper as the foremost authority on the NFL Draft. Anyway, Mike released his Top 10 pre-Combine Draft prospects today.

1. Matt Ryan – QB, Boston College
2. Sedrick Ellis – DT, USC
3. Chris Long – DE, Virginia
4. Glenn Dorsey – DT, LSU
5. Vernon Gholston – DE, Ohio State
6. Jake Long – OL, Michigan
7. Ryan Clady – OL, Boise State
8. Keith Rivers – LB, USC
9. Phillip Merling – DE, Clemson
10. Leodis McKelvin – CB, Troy

Mike is heavy on the linemen this year. And I have to agree. Speaking generally, it’s a great class at those positions. As you can see, seven of his Top 10 prospects are offensive or defensive linemen. But Boston College QB Matt Ryan impressed him enough to make Matt not only the top-rated quarterback, but also the top-rated player. Period. It will be interesting to see how this group changes after the Combine.

(Note: I will be blogging the activities from the Media Work Room at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis next week; University of Hawaii WR Jason Rivers will be guest blogging for EMQB; I’ll have a number of individual player interview podcasts over at BPR; and more.)

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NFL Network’s Mike Mayock Debuts Top 10 Prospects Heading Into Scouting Combine