Highsmith Looking to Impress in Arizona

By: Floyd Randolph
Football Review Daily

As the final seconds ticked off the 2008 NFL Draft clock, most players who had been passed over in the earlier portion of the draft finally began hearing their names being called in the latter half, yet one thing was left unsettled – LB Ali Highsmith’s name was still out there. A surefire first round pick only a couple months ago, his stock had severely slipped, and as the final picks were announced his name was still left on the board.

Highsmith became the victim of a poor combine, tallying forty yard dash times in the low fives and not showing the explosive nature he showed back at LSU where he was once rated as one of the premier linebackers in the nation. Highsmith had a monster 2007 college season where he racked in 101 tackles, recorded three sacks and two forced fumbles; after the season was over, Highsmith was rated near the top of every draft board in terms of linebackers.

Highsmith, known for his physical play has also been praised for his knack of being in the right place at the right time – he is the type that won’t go down until the whistle is blown. This is the type of characteristic that is far too often ignored on draft day – Ali is not only a gifted athlete, but rather a highly intelligent football player with the tools defensive coordinators drool over once they see his productivity in their system.

Now with the dust settling, Ali is ready to make his mark in the league. Highsmith signed a two-year rookie free agent contract with Cardinals soon after draft day and will be looked upon as one of the few potential undrafted impact players. He’s been given a second chance to make his mark, and after seeing how productive Ali is on the field, it’s only a matter of time before those scouts who erased his name off of their draft boards will regret their passing of not only a gifted athlete, but rather a true football player with a relentless passion for the game.

*****
SI.com's NFL Draft Film Room compiled a highlight reel from the Highsmith's collegiate career.

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Who Will It Be This Year?

By: Mo Noorali
Football Review Daily

Since the 1998 NFL Draft, a team that finished with a record in the bottom 10 of the league the previous season, and had a pick in the top 10 has gone on to make the playoffs the season after being in the bottom 10. Some people do not believe in the concept of parity that has been thrown around by NFL analysts for the better part of the last decade, but this stat shows that parity does indeed exist. Let’s take a look at the last 10 occurrences of this phenomenon, followed by a look at who will be able to pull it off this year, and continue the trend.

1998 – Arizona Cardinals, Andre Wadsworth, DE (3rd Overall Pick)

1999 – Indianapolis Colts, Edgerrin James, RB (4th Overall Pick), St. Louis Rams, Torry Holt, WR (6th Overall Pick), Detroit Lions, Chris Claiborne, LB (9th Overall Pick) …The Redskins also took Champ Bailey with the 7th Overall Pick (and made the playoffs), but they had the 11th worst record the year prior, and traded up to the 7th Pick.

2000 – Philadelphia Eagles, Corey Simon, DT (6th Overall Pick) …The Ravens also made the playoffs that year, and had two top picks (Jamal Lewis and Travis Taylor), but similar to the Redskins, they finished with the 15th worst record the year before, and acquired the top 10 picks through trades.

2001 – New England Patriots, Richard Seymour, DT (6th Overall Pick), San Francisco 49ers, Andre Carter, DE (7th Overall Pick*), Chicago Bears, David Terrell, WR (8th Overall Pick)

2002 – Indianapolis Colts, Dwight Freeney, DE (11th Overall Pick**)

2003 – Dallas Cowboys, Terrence Newman, CB (5th Overall Pick), Carolina Panthers, Jordan Gross, OT (8th Overall Pick), Baltimore Ravens, Terrell Suggs, LB (10th Overall Pick)

2004 – Atlanta Falcons, DeAngelo Hall, CB (8th Overall Pick)

2005 – Chicago Bears, Cedric Benson, RB (4th Overall Pick), Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cadillac Williams, RB (5th Overall Pick), Washington Redskins, Carlos Rodgers, CB (9th Overall Pick)

2006 – New Orleans Saints, Reggie Bush, RB (2nd Overall Pick), New York Jets, D’Brickashaw Ferguson, OT (4th Overall Pick)

2007 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Gaines Adams, DE (4th Overall Pick), Washington Redskins, LaRon Landry S (6th Overall Pick

[Note]

*The 49ers originally had the 9th worst record before making the Andre Carter pick, and they traded up to the 7th pick.

**Dwight Freeney was the 11th pick, but the year before the Colts did have one of the 10 worst records in the NFL, but received the 11th pick in the draft because the expansion Houston Texans received the 1st overall pick.

***Looking to 2008***
It seems like this is more than a coincidence. It looks like this trend will continue for years and years, and it is definitely good for the game, as fans from all over the country have hope that their team can go from a seller dweller to a team in contention in just one years time.

2008 NFL Draft Top 10 Picks

1) Miami Dolphins, Jake Long, OT
2) St. Louis Rams, Chris Long, DE
3) Atlanta Falcons, Matt Ryan, QB
4) Oakland Raiders, Darren McFadden, RB
5) Kansas City Chiefs, Glenn Dorsey, DT
6) New York Jets, Vernon Gholston, DE/LB
7) New Orleans Saints, Sedrick Ellis, DT
8) Jacksonville Jaguars, Derrick Harvey, DE
9) Cincinnati Bengals, Keith Rivers, LB
10) New England Patriots, Jerod Mayo, LB

First of all, New England and Jacksonville don’t qualify, since both of them made the playoffs last year. It looks like the New Orleans Saints will be the team that continues the trend this year. They had a number of injuries last year that derailed their season, and got off to a very slow start. Look for them to recover this year, as Sedrick Ellis will fill a big need for them at defensive tackle and be a starter from day one. The Chiefs and Jets will also be very much improved, but they may find it harder to make the playoffs in the more competitive AFC, whereas the Saints will be guaranteed a playoff spot with 10 wins, and could possibly sneak in with 9.

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Spotlight on Kenny Iwebema

The Arizona Cardinals did not have to look far when searching for information on DE Kenny Iwebema who they selected with the 116th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Iwebema was one of three DE taken by the Cardinals. Calais Campbell (Miami) went off the board in the second round, Iwebema in the fourth, and Chris Harrington (Texas A&M) went in round six.

Iwebema's defensive line coach at the University of Iowa up until his junior season is current Arizona Cardinals defensive line coach Ron Aiken. Aiken spent eight seasons with the Iowa Hawkeyes before moving to the NFL to join head coach Ken Whisenhunt’s coaching staff in 2007. Aiken recruited the defensive end while with the Hawkeyes.

Known for his strength off the edge and ability to contain the running game, Iwebama's technique will be fine tuned under the tutelage of coach Aiken. In his final three collegiate seasons, Iwebema, who played on the right, collected a total of 13.5 sacks. 2005 ended up being his most prolific season statistically. He finished with 32 solo tackles, seven sacks, ten tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and two blocked kicks.

SI.com's NFL Draft Film Room compiled a highlight reel from the defensive end's collegiate career.

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2005 Draft Revisited - Five Picks That Have Paid Off From Round 1

Next time you look back at the 2005 NFL Draft, shield your eyes from the horror that was Round 1. The notorious round was a personnel minefield that most teams would love to forget about. Certainly, it had its share of misses, but it also produced several elite players. Football Review Daily reviews five that are still relevant.

Braylon Edwards – Pick 3 – Cleveland Browns
Braylon continued the long-standing tradition of breakout performances for wide receivers in year three of their NFL careers. 80 receptions for 1289 yards plus 16 TDs add up to an AFC Pro Bowl invitation. Thank you, Braylon, for keeping the WR Year 3 Rule safe and sound.

DeMarcus Ware – Pick 11 – Dallas Cowboys
Bill Parcells’ evaluation skills gained more notoriety with this selection at pick eleven. Ware’s speed off the edge and overall athleticism allowed the LB to rack up 33.5 sacks to date in Dallas.

Shawne Merriman – Pick 12 – San Diego Chargers
Equally impressive as Ware when it comes to pressuring the QB, Merriman’s career sack total equals 39.5. Cowboy head coach Wade Phillips has been fortunate enough to coach both of these LBs.

Derrick Johnson – Pick 15 – Kansas City Chiefs
221 solo tackles, 10.5 sacks, 2 Interceptions, and 7 forced fumbles are solid enough stats for a three year period. The University of Texas product has shown that he belongs in the league.

Luis Castillo – Pick 28 – San Diego Chargers
Off-field issues caused the defensive lineman's stock to fall on draft day similar to Warren Sapp's situation several years prior. Castillo has produced Sappian numbers in his three years with the ‘Bolts including 13 total sacks.

Football Review Daily wanted to end this piece talking about five who haven’t lived up to their first round selections; are you listening Mr. Williams? But any article where you use the word Sappian in it should always end on a positive note…

Derek Anderson threw for 3787 yards and 29 TDs last season. Not too shabby for the 213th selection in the 2005 NFL Draft.

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Stat of the Day

Six current teams have never played in the Superbowl - Arizona, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, Jacksonville, New Orleans

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News and Links from Around the Net

Three links of note to chew on...

• Stewart Mandel's Power Rankings via SI.com
• Redskins' Antwaan Randle El's knee surgery update via SI.com
• The Cooley Zone's Newest Post via Yahoo! Sports' Shutdown Corner

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Not The Start He Expected

Rashard Mendenhall was on top of the world a week ago. Funny how things can change in a week.

Mendenhall was drafted 23rd overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in last weeks NFL Draft. He then flew to Pittsburgh and joined the team for their first mini-camp. During only his first day of practice, Mendenhall tweaked his hamstring and had to sit out the rest of the three day camp - not the kind of start a first round draft pick is looking for. (Mednenhall is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for the Steelers open camp this summer.)

Unfortunately it doesn't end there for Mendenhall. While back in Illinois this weekend, Mendenhall was robbed at gun point. Police report at roughly 2 AM Monday morning, Mendenhall was robbed of his wallet and cell phone while strolling along Chicago's South Side lakefront. Mendenhall was not hit or punched and was uninjured during the stick up; however it was a very scary moment for the NFL rookie. No one has been arrested for the crime.

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University of San Diego Head Coach Ron Caragher Interview

In his first season, head coach Ron Caragher built upon the recent tradition at the University of San Diego football program. The Toreros compete in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision and are members of the Pioneer Football League. Over the last three years, the team executed a trio of successful campaigns and now are considered one of the perennial powers in the Pioneer Football League. San Diego won the league championship in 2005 and 2006. The Toreros ended 2007 with a record of 9-2 behind the strong play of quarterback Josh Johnson who was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

As he prepares for his second season in charge, head coach Ron Caragher recently found time this spring to answer a few questions for Football Review Daily.

Q. When you reflect on your first season, what have you taken from 2007?

Confirmation that our approach and philosophy of ‘coming out of the gate’ fast and playing hard & smart was key to our success. Further, football is still the ultimate team sport and that all eleven players on the field must carry their weight and execute their assignment. The game comes down to blocking, tackling, turnovers, and scheme execution.

Q. With season one completed, what has been your main focus heading into season two?

Balance and execution. We want to be a well balanced football team that is fundamentally sound. For example, on offense, while we like to throw the football, we know that we must be able to run the football to have sustained success. Defensively, we want to have an attacking, aggressive defense.

Q. What is your overall assessment regarding the incoming class of recruits?

We are very excited about this years incoming recruits. We feel we addressed all of our needs and are looking forward to working with these young men when they report in August. Two already have made an impact as they were here for the spring semester. Nick Kostielney (Gavilan JR. College) came out of spring as our starting center and Chris Danser (San Jose State transfer) will be a contributor if not starter on the offensive line.

Q. Were you pleased with your team's performance at spring practice?

Yes, for the most part. While it is hard to replace key contributing seniors such as Josh Johnson, Eric Bakhtiari, Wes Doyle, Ronnie Pentz, etc., I felt other individuals stepped forward and showed they can play at a high level. Further, some of these individuals stepped into the leadership role that we need them to.

Q. Have you decided on a QB for 2008 or are you still evaluating?

Unfortunately, Andrew Rolin, our most experienced returning QB, missed most of spring practice with a stress fracture in his lower back. With the additional repetitions and practice opportunities, Ben Hannula emerged at the QB position and had a terrific spring. He has a good grasp of our passing game concepts and uses his athleticism to make plays when the pocket collapses. The keys for the fall will be to see Ben continue the high level of execution at the position and to see how Andrew bounces back.

Photo Courtesy University of San Diego Athletics

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Stat of the Day

Graham Harrell from Texas Tech lead the NCAA with 5,705 passing yards in 2007.

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Reggie Smith's Impact Certain with 49ers

After several seasons of fielding a less-than-stellar secondary, the San Fransisco 49ers assembled a strong unit in 2007. The off season saw the team bring in Pro Bowler Nate Clements to serve as the team's lockdown corner. Former Philadelphia Eagles' safety Michael Lewis signed on and ended with a statistically successful campaign. Mark Roman, Walt Harris, and Shawntae Spencer also added veteran expertise to the unit.

With the drafting in the third round of the University of Oklahoma's Reggie Smith, the 49ers secondary look prepared to make an even greater impact in the NFC West.

Smith is an instinctive and versatile player who could see significant playing time this season in the 49ers' nickel package. By season's end, it is not a stretch to say the he could be pushing for starting minutes alongside Clements.

Smith recently commented on the San Fransisco 49ers' official site that he prefers to play corner but is open to playing safety if needed.

SI.com's NFL Draft Film Room compiled a highlight reel from the defensive back's collegiate career.

[Note] --- The 49ers also signed Smith's teammate Lewis Baker listed as a 6-3, 203 pound safety to an rookie free agent contract.

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Stat of the Day

Cleveland's Josh Cribbs had 1,809 kick return yards in 2007 to lead the NFL.

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Raúl Allegre: One Tee for Another

The New York Giants' team from Super Bowl XXI was loaded with such star-studded players as Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson, Phil Simms, and Mark Bavaro. Equally instrumental to the success of that team was the clutch kicking of Raúl Allegre.

Nowadays, Raúl Allegre has seamlessly transitioned into the post-playing career world. He is a successful TV personality on ESPN & ESPN Deportes as well as the President of the NFL Alumni Chapter serving Austin, Texas and the surrounding areas.

The NFL Alumni Chapter in Austin, Texas is comprised of 120 eligible players. Suitable candidates had to have signed a contract to attend an NFL training camp. "The pool of potential players is pretty big," Allegre said, "especially with the University of Texas here." Once granted membership in the alumni chapter, a player normally devotes the majority of his time and energy to charity work around the community as well as meeting and socializing with the other alumni members.

The Austin chapter's major event is the NFL Alumni Golf Classic held at the prestigious Hills of Lakeway Golf and Country Club. The golf course is home to the FedEx Kinko's Classic which is a Champions Tour event. "We have a golf tournament that we do every year to benefit the Center for Child Protection." Allegre added, "The tournament is on June 20 (and) we anticipate having 30 to 34 teams. Every team is made up of four players and an alumni captain. The top four teams go to an open shot playoff."

The championship foursome progress on to a national tournament sponsored by the NFL Alumni. "The winning team gets to go to the NFL Alumni's Super Bowl of Golf which is held every year in the month of April," Allegre said, "and they get to compete against other cities that have NFL Alumni chapters."

Along with his duties as President of the Austin chapter, Raúl Allegre also works for ESPN serving on the network's Spanish-language Monday Night Football commentator team. Allegre expanded, "I am the color commentator for the Monday Night Football games. I also do a show called NFL Semanal (on ESPN Deportes with Alvaro Martin and Eduardo Varela). We come on once a week." NFL Semanal is now in its 5th year and the show is one of ESPN Deportes' most successful programs.

Raúl Allegre has traded in one tee for another these days. Instead of kicking in the Super Bowl, he is teeing off for charity in Austin, Texas surrounded by his fellow NFL Alumni.

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