2013 NFL Draft Mailbag
I received many e-mails and tweets about my 2013 NFL Mock Draft and the upcoming NFL Draft in general. To share the answers to the questions publicly, I decided to start up a mailbag column. Pass along your NFL draft questions and comments. I'll put together a mailbag periodically that answers questions/comments sent via email draftcampbell@gmail.com or on Twitter @draftcampbell.
8/16/12
From twitter @StefanosY (Stefanos Yowhannes)
"What do you think about Quinton Coples first game as a Jet?"
Coples had a fabulous preseason debut and looked like a stud defensive lineman. He registered a great stat line with five tackles, sack, forced fumble, tackle for a loss and batted-down pass. Those numbers were validated by Coples' actual play. He was excellent.
Coples was around the ball throughout the game and tough at the point of attack. He showed his strength and physicality by moving offensive linemen while his holding ground when runs came right at him. Coples' run defense was superb.
The rookie also did well as a pass-rusher. He had a nice sack and got penetration into the pocket on other pass plays. Even though Coples had a reputation for taking plays off in college, he showed a good motor and was consistent on a down-by-down basis against the Bengals. Overall, his performance was phenomenal first game for a much maligned first-rounder.
Obviously, the Jets took an injury risk in letting Coples play well into the second half. However, letting him get that much playing time will pay off in September and October. The increased reps has against NFL offensive linemen will expedite his learning process.
In general, I think teams may benefit by giving rookies more playing time in preseason games, but the teams are quite terrified of potential injuries. It is a tough decision to make, but, after one game, the Jets are looking good.
From Matt Cummings, Mechanicsville, Virginia
"The Penn State scandal is one of the largest sports stories in recent history; I have a few questions for you regarding this scandal. Do you think the Board of Trustees did the right thing in removing the Joe Paterno statue? Penn State received enormous sanctions because of this scandal, sanctions only surpassed by the "Death Penalty": do you think these sanctions were fair? Lastly, how do you think the Penn State football team will perform this season? Will the looming scandal drive the team to compete or will the team play poorly as a result of the inevitable scrutiny by the media and the public?" The Penn State situation is such a tragedy for everybody involved, none more so than the victims of the abuse. This kind of abuse happens in athletics all over the country across different sports. Hopefully the Penn State scandal will serve as a catalyst to confront the problems rather than sweeping them under the rug. I'll run through each answer to your questions:
From Tim Porter, Seattle, Washington
"Which schools are you most looking forward to watching for this year's draft and possibly the 2014 NFL Draft?"
That's a good question. There are a number of teams that are high on my radar. Here my top dozen: USC, LSU, Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma, Georgia, Arkansas, Texas A&M, South Carolina, TCU, California and Wisconsin. All of those teams have multiple players who look like potential early-round picks for the 2013 NFL Draft. The first six to eight are especially loaded with NFL talent for the top of the draft.
There are other programs which are more under the radar that I'm extremely interested in seeing. They include Illinois, Stanford and North Carolina. All three of these programs have something in common. They each had a former head coach who recruited excellent talent in recent years. Ron Zook (Illinois), Jim Harbaugh (Stanford) and Butch Davis (North Carolina) brought a lot of talent into those programs.
All three programs currently have some clear NFL prospects who could be early-round picks. I also think these teams have the capacity for breakout players this season who nobody knows about right now. Each school could have some behind the scenes talent.
After all, nobody knew about Whitney Mercilus at this time last year, but by the end of the 2011 season, he led college football in sacks and forced fumbles. All three of those programs could have players like Mercilus who could take college football by storm this season.
As for the 2014 NFL Draft, I would say Clemson and Florida have a lot of young talent in their sophomores and juniors. I think the Gators' juniors look more like four-year players, but some prospects like safety Matt Elam or linebacker Jelani Jenkins could have big enough years to prompt them to enter the 2013 NFL Draft.
From Jerry Buchanan, Savannah, Georgia
"Charlie do you think Carolina will finally have a young receiver emerge to compliment (sic) Steve Smith?"
The Panthers certainly need one to step up and become a reliable producer in the NFL. Since Moose Muhammed hung it up, Carolina's offense has been lacking a true complement to Smith.
I reached out to some sources, and they said that Brandon LaFell is capable of doing that this season. They don't believe that he will be Muhammed in his prime, but that LaFell could generate some quality numbers this season. He has flashed at times, but the time is now for him to turn into a solid starter. If he doesn't get it done this year, receiver will be a big need for the Panthers next offseason.
Another player to keep an eye on is Louis Murphy. Carolina landed him in a trade with Oakland, and I think he is a better player than his numbers have illustrated to this point. Murphy has some potential with size and speed. I like him as a third receiver in the Panthers' offense.
Murphy also knows Cam Newton dating back to 2007 and 2008 when they were teammates at Florida. That past familiarity could help Murphy in getting his quarterback to target him when he gets in the game. I wouldn't expect Murphy to produce a massive season, but I think he could be a serviceable third receiver. This is an underrated move by general manager Marty Hurney that could pay off.
Over the next draft or two I think Carolina has to target a left tackle and a No. 1 receiver. The team clearly has the running backs, some interior offensive line talent and a franchise signal-caller. Smith and left tackle Jordan Gross can't play forever, so the Panthers have to land some talent at those positions in order to get the most out of Newton and company in their primes.
Once again send questions/comments via email draftcampbell@gmail.com or on Twitter @draftcampbell.
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag Archive:
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - Feb. 4
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - Jan. 18
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - Jan. 14
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - Dec. 17
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - Dec. 10
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - Nov. 23
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - Oct. 26
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - Sept. 6
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - Aug. 24
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - Aug. 16
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - Aug. 7
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - July 26
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - July 8
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - June 15
2013 Fantasy Football Rankings - June 19
2014 NFL Mock Draft - June 18
Charlie's 2014 NFL Mock Draft - June 17
2013 NBA Mock Draft - May 22
NFL Picks - Feb. 3
8/16/12
From twitter @StefanosY (Stefanos Yowhannes)
"What do you think about Quinton Coples first game as a Jet?"
Coples had a fabulous preseason debut and looked like a stud defensive lineman. He registered a great stat line with five tackles, sack, forced fumble, tackle for a loss and batted-down pass. Those numbers were validated by Coples' actual play. He was excellent.
Coples was around the ball throughout the game and tough at the point of attack. He showed his strength and physicality by moving offensive linemen while his holding ground when runs came right at him. Coples' run defense was superb.
The rookie also did well as a pass-rusher. He had a nice sack and got penetration into the pocket on other pass plays. Even though Coples had a reputation for taking plays off in college, he showed a good motor and was consistent on a down-by-down basis against the Bengals. Overall, his performance was phenomenal first game for a much maligned first-rounder.
Obviously, the Jets took an injury risk in letting Coples play well into the second half. However, letting him get that much playing time will pay off in September and October. The increased reps has against NFL offensive linemen will expedite his learning process.
In general, I think teams may benefit by giving rookies more playing time in preseason games, but the teams are quite terrified of potential injuries. It is a tough decision to make, but, after one game, the Jets are looking good.
From Matt Cummings, Mechanicsville, Virginia
"The Penn State scandal is one of the largest sports stories in recent history; I have a few questions for you regarding this scandal. Do you think the Board of Trustees did the right thing in removing the Joe Paterno statue? Penn State received enormous sanctions because of this scandal, sanctions only surpassed by the "Death Penalty": do you think these sanctions were fair? Lastly, how do you think the Penn State football team will perform this season? Will the looming scandal drive the team to compete or will the team play poorly as a result of the inevitable scrutiny by the media and the public?" The Penn State situation is such a tragedy for everybody involved, none more so than the victims of the abuse. This kind of abuse happens in athletics all over the country across different sports. Hopefully the Penn State scandal will serve as a catalyst to confront the problems rather than sweeping them under the rug. I'll run through each answer to your questions:
- I do think they did the correct thing in removing the Paterno statue. The program needs to pay its debts and then move on from the past. Right now, having the Paterno statue on display would just serve as a constant reminder of the scandal.
- I think the sanctions were generous toward Penn State. In my opinion, the death penalty was in order. This was way worse than college football players taking money from boosters or agents. The victims of Jerry Sandusky will have to deal with the assaults for the rest of their lives. Penn State is fortunate the penalties weren't worse like the death penalty or having the program shut down permanently.
- I think the Nittany Lions are in for a season of 4-6 wins. The exodus of players hurts their talent level, and the nightmare of the scandal will be hanging over the program this year and for some years to come. It is going to take a long time to rebuild the program with the sanctions and stigma to overcome.
From Tim Porter, Seattle, Washington
"Which schools are you most looking forward to watching for this year's draft and possibly the 2014 NFL Draft?"
That's a good question. There are a number of teams that are high on my radar. Here my top dozen: USC, LSU, Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma, Georgia, Arkansas, Texas A&M, South Carolina, TCU, California and Wisconsin. All of those teams have multiple players who look like potential early-round picks for the 2013 NFL Draft. The first six to eight are especially loaded with NFL talent for the top of the draft.
There are other programs which are more under the radar that I'm extremely interested in seeing. They include Illinois, Stanford and North Carolina. All three of these programs have something in common. They each had a former head coach who recruited excellent talent in recent years. Ron Zook (Illinois), Jim Harbaugh (Stanford) and Butch Davis (North Carolina) brought a lot of talent into those programs.
All three programs currently have some clear NFL prospects who could be early-round picks. I also think these teams have the capacity for breakout players this season who nobody knows about right now. Each school could have some behind the scenes talent.
After all, nobody knew about Whitney Mercilus at this time last year, but by the end of the 2011 season, he led college football in sacks and forced fumbles. All three of those programs could have players like Mercilus who could take college football by storm this season.
As for the 2014 NFL Draft, I would say Clemson and Florida have a lot of young talent in their sophomores and juniors. I think the Gators' juniors look more like four-year players, but some prospects like safety Matt Elam or linebacker Jelani Jenkins could have big enough years to prompt them to enter the 2013 NFL Draft.
From Jerry Buchanan, Savannah, Georgia
"Charlie do you think Carolina will finally have a young receiver emerge to compliment (sic) Steve Smith?"
The Panthers certainly need one to step up and become a reliable producer in the NFL. Since Moose Muhammed hung it up, Carolina's offense has been lacking a true complement to Smith.
I reached out to some sources, and they said that Brandon LaFell is capable of doing that this season. They don't believe that he will be Muhammed in his prime, but that LaFell could generate some quality numbers this season. He has flashed at times, but the time is now for him to turn into a solid starter. If he doesn't get it done this year, receiver will be a big need for the Panthers next offseason.
Another player to keep an eye on is Louis Murphy. Carolina landed him in a trade with Oakland, and I think he is a better player than his numbers have illustrated to this point. Murphy has some potential with size and speed. I like him as a third receiver in the Panthers' offense.
Murphy also knows Cam Newton dating back to 2007 and 2008 when they were teammates at Florida. That past familiarity could help Murphy in getting his quarterback to target him when he gets in the game. I wouldn't expect Murphy to produce a massive season, but I think he could be a serviceable third receiver. This is an underrated move by general manager Marty Hurney that could pay off.
Over the next draft or two I think Carolina has to target a left tackle and a No. 1 receiver. The team clearly has the running backs, some interior offensive line talent and a franchise signal-caller. Smith and left tackle Jordan Gross can't play forever, so the Panthers have to land some talent at those positions in order to get the most out of Newton and company in their primes.
Once again send questions/comments via email draftcampbell@gmail.com or on Twitter @draftcampbell.
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag Archive:
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - Feb. 4
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - Jan. 18
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - Jan. 14
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - Dec. 17
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - Dec. 10
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - Nov. 23
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - Oct. 26
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - Sept. 6
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - Aug. 24
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - Aug. 16
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - Aug. 7
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - July 26
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - July 8
2013 NFL Draft Mailbag - June 15
|
TS
07-08-2012
05:49 am
xxx.xxx.xxx.216
(total posts: 1)
 27
 41
@RD
There's a whole lot of wrong in that wall of text. #1. Cooley is not a good TE, he was 2 years ago but injuries have made him little more than an over hyped decoy. Fred Davis is a top 10 talent when not suspended though. #2. Helu had 5 starts last year, and in those 5 starts he had 428 rushing yards and 223 extra receiving yards. 4 good games in 5 starts as a rookie? That sounds like a lot more than "nothing" to me. Also Shanny excels at getting production out of any RB. The running game won't be a problem for the Redskins this season. #3. Your lack of knowledge regarding the Redskins D is goddamn laughable. In addition to Fletcher, Kerrigan, and Orakpo there's also Barry Coefield who had a Pro Bowl caliber year at NT, Perry Riley who at times outplayed Fletcher at ILB, and CB Josh Wilson who had an excellent season despite awful Safety play and being forced to compensate for Deangelo Hall's ineptitude. The secondary sans Wilson is pretty bad, but the rest of the D is good to great. #4. Everyone claimed that the Panthers receivers were terrible too before Cam Newton came to town. While Steve Smith is better than Santana Moss, Garcon is certainly better than Brandon LaFell, and barring a suspension Fred Davis is probably better than Greg Olsen. Helu is a talented back, your ignorance notwithstanding, and like I said Shanhan excels at making no name RBs into fantasy football gods. While the Redskins backs might not be as talented as Deangelo Williams or Jonathan Stewart they're still solid, Helu being a good starter while Tim Hightower is a very good 3rd down back. Another Shanny staple which you've ignored is that he takes offensive lineman people have never heard of and makes them look passable. They might not have the name recognition that a Ryan Kalil or Jordon Gross has, but I doubt they'll be significantly worse. Prior to Williams being suspended and a slew of injuries the Redskins line looked very solid last season. That's with incompetent QBs John Beck and Rex Grossman holding the ball all day, I doubt RG3 will have such a fondness for getting sacked as those two clowns did. #5 The enter key, use it. I'm not even going to address that random gibberish you descended into at the end because it hurts my eyes to look at the abomination that is your post.
RD
06-16-2012
06:35 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx.204
(total posts: 1)
36
19
Well, Tony has a point (tho they have more weapons then he mentioned)... WAS has a crap cast... they have a washed up vet (moss), a decent, but unproven youngster (hankerson), 2 crap signings (morgan and garcon... and I'm a 9er fan, I know all about Morgan) at WR, good safety valves in TE's cooley and davis, and nothing at rb (come on guys, I know you like him an all, but helu has had like 4 good games in his career, he can't be counted on), and a line with more holes than swiss cheese (williams and brown are the only decent o-line men, and brown is almost done)... as for defense, whoever said that carriker is a weapon is stupid, that idiot got released by the RAMS when they drafted #1... he is garbage, along with the rest of the d, except orakpo, fletcher, and now kerrigan. RG3 is going to struggle big time in his 1st season. at least newton had smith (he's an old speedster, but can still catch unlike moss) with lafell, a solid TE in olsen, a great committee of RB's in williams and stewart, and a solid line anchored by 2 multiple pro-bowlers and all-pros (gross and kalil). can WAS boast ANY of those things? Maybe better at the TE position w/ 2 good TE's, but they are solid, not spectacular (see: Gronk, Graham, Gonzo, Davis, etc.) and honestly, how many times will they use both TE's? even if they do it 1/2 the time (very generous, the 9ers didn't even do that 1/2 the time, and they have a HC who specializes in this), thats 1/2 the time 1 of their 2 best receivers are on the bench. As great as RG3 maybe, w/o a cast, he'll turn into another david carr or alex smith (in his early years).
Amar
05-28-2012
03:37 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx.157
(total posts: 1)
46
37
I just recently discovered the site but I find it to be a breathe of fresh air, keep up the good work. Anyways, what do you think of Casey Pachall? We saw the kind of impact Andy Dalton had as a rookie and Pachall exceeded any season that Dalton ever put up statistically and is bigger with more physical tools. Any chance he could be a first rounder next year with another big season?
i think
05-20-2012
05:46 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx.152
(total posts: 2)
23
121
somebody loves the word i think...this dude who writes this crap hasent a clue,rg 3 has played qb how long?and be is the next cam newton..lol
@Tony
05-20-2012
05:36 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx4.86
(total posts: 1)
32
83
Charlie answers the mailbag questions so yea....you're dumb. And why can't Griffin come in and play just as well as Cam Newton?
He's a better passer than Cam was coming out of college. The Redskins have just as good a supporting cast on offense, if not better than the Panthers had last season They have Pierre Garcon, Leonard Hankerson, Josh Morgan, and Santana Moss at WR; Fred Davis and Chris Cooley at TE; Roy Helu (over 100 yards in 3 out of 4 of his starts) and Tim Hightower at RB, and a decent offensive line with solid depth. How is that nothing on offense? They have more depth at WR and better TEs than the Panthers and their offensive lines are basically equal when healthy? And only 2 players on defense? They have Barry Cofield at NT, who was a beast last year. They have a solid rotation of Jarvis Jenkins, Stephen Bowen, Adam Carriker, and Kedric Gholston at DE. Orakpo and Kerrigan are one of the best pass rushing duos in the NFL at the OLB spots. London Fletcher is still one of the best ILB in the league and Perry Riley is a good young player as the other ILB. And they have good depth there with Jonathan Goff and Keenan Robinson. The only big issue on the entire team is the Defensive Backs. But they are more talented than people might think, they just have various behavior, consistency, and health issues. But they can be good enough if they put it all together. So next time you criticize someone, make sure you are actually criticizing the right person, idiot. And also make sure you know about the team you want to criticize them for liking because you obviously forgot to do both
@buttkisser
05-20-2012
04:37 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx58.4
(total posts: 2)
25
21
somebody is mad b/c their team sucks this year haha
@tony
05-20-2012
04:36 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx58.4
(total posts: 2)
23
26
Think for yourself and stop reading what retards post on comment boards. I could go on about how you're horrifically wrong but i'm just going to save my time. have a good one.
NlGGA WIT THA BIG NUTZ
05-20-2012
01:46 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx9.30
(total posts: 1)
17
14
@Tony
A Washington fan? There's pages of Snyder trashing on this site.
BUTT KISSER
05-20-2012
01:02 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx.152
(total posts: 2)
14
75
GUY YOU KNOW ZILCH ABOUT FOOTBALL,WHAT ARE YOUR CREDENTIALS?YOU WRITE LIKE A 5TH GRADER,SHOW NO IN DEPTH ANALAYSIS OR FACTS TO BACK ANYTHING YOU SAY AND DRAW CONCLUSIONS ON WHAT?????????YOUR GUT FEELINGS?YOU SUCK
Ryan
05-20-2012
10:35 am
xxx.xxx.xxx.115
(total posts: 1)
19
14
A GM taking players that he likes the most is a GM picking off of his big board. You act like your big board or the big board of other "experts" are the end all of who these guys are ranked. Each GM has a different big board and each board is much different that that of a sports sites or channels big board. A GM taking someone he likes is more than likely taking someone at the top of his big board that is still available or at least the highest rated person at their position that is still available. There is not a GM out there who is going, "Well I really like John Doe even though it's the 4th round and I have him rated in the 7th, might as well just take him."
Tony
05-20-2012
09:17 am
xxx.xxx.xxx12.4
(total posts: 1)
17
187
Is Walt a Redskins fan or what? Dude goobers over Griffin like he's going to come in the league slinging like an elite QB. Washington's supporting cast is absolute trash save two players on defense. People seem to push aside the fact that Shan is a stubborn old goat whose philosphies are outdated and he's not all that great of a coach to begin with. They'll win 5 games tops and Walt looks dumb again.
Pats fan
05-15-2012
05:30 am
xxx.xxx.xxx7.54
(total posts: 1)
15
23
It's hilarious that the Jets took Gholston in 2008 just so the Patriots wouldn't get him. How'd that work out for you guys?
Donald
05-15-2012
04:04 am
xxx.xxx.xxx49.2
(total posts: 1)
100
13
Can you bring back the old format of your scouting reports?
aaaa
05-11-2012
12:00 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx48.8
(total posts: 1)
123
140
woody paige sucks
Salsa
04-24-2012
10:33 pm
xxx.xxx.xxx.195
(total posts: 1)
31
128
Woody Paige of the denver post put Walter on blast in his article today. The king of denver sports journalism.
Congrats Walter. You've arrived. |
2013 Fantasy Football Rankings - June 19
2014 NFL Mock Draft - June 18
Charlie's 2014 NFL Mock Draft - June 17
2013 NBA Mock Draft - May 22
NFL Picks - Feb. 3
© 1999-2013 Walter Cherepinsky : all rights reserved
Privacy Policy
2 5 9
Leave a comment