Since the NFL's common draft was instituted in 1967, no defensive back has gone No. 1 overall.
LSU's Patrick Peterson might force the Carolina Panthers to break that trend next month, whether they enlist him to play his customary cornerback spot or shift him to safety.
"I hope I can be in play for the first pick," Peterson said.
"The Panthers have the final say-so. It doesn't matter what I think, what I have to say about it. It's truly an honor and a blessing to be in this position anyway. I'm just going to continue taking one thing at a time and waiting for April 28 and see what that day brings me."
That day seems sure to bring one lucky NFL team a spectacular football player.
Peterson won the Chuck Bednarik Award (best defensive player in college football), the Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back) and was named the Southeastern Conference's top defender and special-teams player in 2010. After stockpiling all that hardware, he opted to skip his senior season to see what his NFL draft stock was worth.
He's now rated as the 2011 draft's top prospect, according to NFLDraftScout.com, USA TODAY's scouting service.
"He should be a consideration (at No. 1)," NFLDraftScout.com senior analyst Rob Rang says. "The CBA stuff could potentially allow Carolina to pick him No. 1 if they so choose. Typically you can't put that kind of money into a cornerback. But if they (implement a rookie wage scale), you can take the best player at No. 1, especially as the NFL becomes more passer-focused."
New Panthers coach Ron Rivera won't say if Peterson is on Carolina's radar, only offering "between seven and 10 guys" have been targeted by the team.
Peterson hopes whoever targets him won't feel compelled to quickly move him to safety despite his Belts 6-foot, 219-pound frame.
"I feel my best game is at cornerback," he says. "If an NFL team needs me to play the safety position, I'm definitely more than willing to transition my game to the safety position."
As recently as the scouting combine, though, that issue hadn't cropped up.
"(Teams) haven't come to me about changing positions to safety, but if it so happens, then I'll just have to live with it," he said.
USA TODAY's defensive player of the year in 2007 as a prep at Ely (Pompano Beach, Fla.) High School, Peterson made life tough on SEC quarterbacks, picking off seven passes as a three-year starter even though he wasn't challenged that often. But the conference did offer Fashion Show Collections a valuable NFL apprenticeship as he regularly locked up with players such as Georgia's A.J. Green and Alabama's Julio Jones, widely regarded as the top two wideout prospects in cheap jerseys from china the draft and possible top-10 selections.
"In the NFL, it's the Joneses and Greens each and every Sunday," says Peterson, who faced the duo five times.
"Those guys definitely helped me elevate my game to the next level each and every time we played."
And given his experience and success against such talents, Peterson isn't buying the notion he might eventually (or already) be too big to handle NFL wideouts.
"I feel pretty swift the way I am. I feel fast, I feel quick. I feel more fluid at the weight I am right now," he says.
"I don't want to go out there and try to kill myself trying to lose weight because I have very little body fat (7%). I believe I'm good at the weight I'm at right now."
And what about comparisons to former Ohio State cornerback and 2009 first-rounder Malcolm Jenkins, who blossomed in 2010 after switching to free safety?
"I don't think it is valid," Rang says. "He's been beaten by very small, quick receivers, DeSean Jackson kind of guys. I think that Peterson has a different blend of Belts,Scarves & Accessories athleticism than most people give him credit for.
"I'd be stunned if he winds up being a safety in the NFL, at least early in his career."
Rang thinks the consensus All-American might simply be a victim of his own success.
"He's one of those guys who was so good in college, they're starting to nitpick him now," he says.
"I've watched him for three years be the best player on the field."
That's partially because Peterson thrives at press coverage, has excellent ball skills, can cover receivers outside or in the slot and is effective in run support.
"I'm an all-around cornerback, and that's what I wanted to do coming out of college. I definitely want to continue that trend going into the NFL," says Peterson, who is related to NFL alums Bryant and Walter McFadden and Santana and Sinorice Moss.
But it's Peterson's ability as a returner that might force the Panthers (or someone else in the draft's top five) to pull the trigger on him early.
"That's definitely something I want to pursue at the next level," Peterson said recently on NFL Network, referring to the double duties.
"Deion Sanders did it."
Deployed to field kicks and punts for the first time in his college career in 2010, Peterson ranked fourth in the SEC in all-purpose yardage (116.9 yards a game), even though he was never used offensively. He averaged 16.1 yards per punt return, scoring twice, and brought kickoffs back an average of 29.3 yards.
And this is one facet of Peterson's game where he thinks his sturdy build helps him.
"Hard to tackle me. I won't come down on one shot — hopefully," he says.
"But these guys are definitely bigger and faster in the NFL. That's the main reason I put on a little bit more weight."
Though some scouts consider him the least-flawed player on the board, Peterson also is doing plenty of self-scouting.
"I want to work on my zone coverage," he says. "We barely did that at LSU. A lot of people are saying I can't backpedal and things like that, but I definitely can.
"I definitely want to show the media, all you guys, that I can backpedal and change direction as well."
Sanders, who scouted Peterson while covering the combine for NFL Network, said Peterson was far more fluid than he thought possible for such a big man.
Nebraska's Prince Amukamara, probably the best cornerback in the draft not named Peterson, endorses all the hype surrounding his peer and understands why Peterson might end up being the top pick.
"Patrick Peterson is an amazing player," Amukamara says.
"Whatever attention or notoriety he's getting, he deserves it."
2011年3月9日星期三
NFLPA wants more financial data from league
The NFL Players Association retained an international investment bank to help it decide whether the league's offer to reveal more financial information during negotiations will be enough to satisfy the union's call for full disclosure.
Zeroing in on the crux of the labour dispute — how to split $9 billion in revenues — one NFLPA executive committee member, Cleveland Browns linebacker Scott Fujita, said in a telephone interview Tuesday with The Associated Press and NFL Network that what the NFL has turned over to the union so far “hasn't been sufficient.
Another executive committee member, Indianapolis Colts centre Jeff Saturday, said as he left Tuesday's 9 1 / 2-hour mediation session that the bank would “help judge how helpful the material they were offering to give us” would be.
The current collective bargaining agreement was set to expire last week, but two extensions now have pushed the cutoff to the end of Friday.
While progress has been made, both sides have stuck to their stances when it comes to two central issues: The NFLPA has not agreed to any major economic concessions; the NFL has not agreed to the union's long-held demand that the league completely open its books, repeatedly saying the players have enough data.
One key question is what cut team owners should get up front to help cover costs such as stadium construction and improvement. Under the old deal, owners received more than $1 billion off the top. They entered these negotiations seeking to add another $1 billion to that amount, before other revenues are divided with players.
Although there might have been some movement in that area, the union says it is not enough.
“We're being asked to give back almost a billion dollars, so it's important for us to adequately analyze and interpret the little bit of information that's been provided,” said Fujita, who attended negotiations last month but not this week. “And ultimately, if they're unwilling to provide full audited statements, then we need to know what other information we need to make a sound decision.”
Asked whether having full financial transparency from the league is a deal-breaker, NFLPA assistant executive director for external affairs George Atallah replied: “In the face of an almost billion-dollar ask? Yes.”
Atallah would not identify the investment bank, which he said has been advising the union for a “couple of months.”
The NFL's lead labour negotiator, Jeff Pash, said the bank has not contacted the league.
“We feel like we've given a lot of financial information. And we understand they may have a different view,” Pash said. “But I'm not going to get into what we discussed with them this week.”
He was part an NFL group Tuesday that included Commissioner Roger Goodell, New York Giants owner John Mara, Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, Atlanta Falcons president Rich McKay — chairman of the league's competition committee — and Washington Redskins general manager Bruce Allen.
The NFLPA contingent included executive director DeMaurice Smith, president Kevin Mawae and several current or former players, including Cardinals kicker Jay Feely, Chiefs linebacker Mike Vrabel and Ravens cornerback Domonique Foxworth.
Top NFLPA outside counsel Jeffrey Kessler wasn't present Monday or Tuesday.
When Smith exited after the longest of the 13 days of mediation since it began Feb. 18, he was asked why the union brought aboard the investment bank.
“Look, this is a $9 billion business, and the players are — and have been — very involved in what we call the business of football,” Smith said.
“Having the best and brightest people in the world advising us on financial matters — that's just good business,” he added.
If a deal isn't reached by Friday, the sides could agree to another extension. Or talks could break off, leading to, possibly, a lockout by owners or antitrust lawsuits by players.
The NFL has not lost games to a work stoppage in nearly a quarter-century. By agreeing to continue with mediation, the league and union made it clear neither was quite ready to make the drastic move of shutting down a sport that is more popular than ever. The past two Super Bowls rank No. 1 and No. 2 among most-watched TV programs in U.S. history.
Fujita said he's “hopeful” a deal can be reached by Friday, but he also noted: “‘Hope' — I don't know if that means anything.”
Either way, he considers it imperative that the players know more about the owners' financial records.
“What they've provided so far hasn't been sufficient. Asking for almost a billion dollars back — that's a huge, huge leap of faith. And that's kind of what it's been so far — them asking us to take a leap of faith,” Fujita said. “And we can't do that without sound judgment.”
Zeroing in on the crux of the labour dispute — how to split $9 billion in revenues — one NFLPA executive committee member, Cleveland Browns linebacker Scott Fujita, said in a telephone interview Tuesday with The Associated Press and NFL Network that what the NFL has turned over to the union so far “hasn't been sufficient.
Another executive committee member, Indianapolis Colts centre Jeff Saturday, said as he left Tuesday's 9 1 / 2-hour mediation session that the bank would “help judge how helpful the material they were offering to give us” would be.
The current collective bargaining agreement was set to expire last week, but two extensions now have pushed the cutoff to the end of Friday.
One key question is what cut team owners should get up front to help cover costs such as stadium construction and improvement. Under the old deal, owners received more than $1 billion off the top. They entered these negotiations seeking to add another $1 billion to that amount, before other revenues are divided with players.
Although there might have been some movement in that area, the union says it is not enough.
“We're being asked to give back almost a billion dollars, so it's important for us to adequately analyze and interpret the little bit of information that's been provided,” said Fujita, who attended negotiations last month but not this week. “And ultimately, if they're unwilling to provide full audited statements, then we need to know what other information we need to make a sound decision.”
Asked whether having full financial transparency from the league is a deal-breaker, NFLPA assistant executive director for external affairs George Atallah replied: “In the face of an almost billion-dollar ask? Yes.”
Atallah would not identify the investment bank, which he said has been advising the union for a “couple of months.”
The NFL's lead labour negotiator, Jeff Pash, said the bank has not contacted the league.
“We feel like we've given a lot of financial information. And we understand they may have a different view,” Pash said. “But I'm not going to get into what we discussed with them this week.”
He was part an NFL group Tuesday that included Commissioner Roger Goodell, New York Giants owner John Mara, Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, Atlanta Falcons president Rich McKay — chairman of the league's competition committee — and Washington Redskins general manager Bruce Allen.
The NFLPA contingent included executive director DeMaurice Smith, president Kevin Mawae and several current or former players, including Cardinals kicker Jay Feely, Chiefs linebacker Mike Vrabel and Ravens cornerback Domonique Foxworth.
Top NFLPA outside counsel Jeffrey Kessler wasn't present Monday or Tuesday.
When Smith exited after the longest of the 13 days of mediation since it began Feb. 18, he was asked why the union brought aboard the investment bank.
“Look, this is a $9 billion business, and the players are — and have been — very involved in what we call the business of football,” Smith said.
“Having the best and brightest people in the world advising us on financial matters — that's just good business,” he added.
If a deal isn't reached by Friday, the sides could agree to another extension. Or talks could break off, leading to, possibly, a lockout by owners or antitrust lawsuits by players.
The NFL has not lost games to a work stoppage in nearly a quarter-century. By agreeing to continue with mediation, the league and union made it clear neither was quite ready to make the drastic move of shutting down a sport that is more popular than ever. The past two Super Bowls rank No. 1 and No. 2 among most-watched TV programs in U.S. history.
Fujita said he's “hopeful” a deal can be reached by Friday, but he also noted: “‘Hope' — I don't know if that means anything.”
Either way, he considers it imperative that the players know more about the owners' financial records.
“What they've provided so far hasn't been sufficient. Asking for almost a billion dollars back — that's a huge, huge leap of faith. And that's kind of what it's been so far — them asking us to take a leap of faith,” Fujita said. “And we can't do that without sound judgment.”
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