Mario Manningham

Mario Manningham has given people a lot to talk about with all his off the field problems.

On the field with the New York Giants for the first time Friday, the troubled third-round draft pick from Michigan showed flashes of why he might have been one of the biggest steals in the NFL draft.

Manningham caught a short pass in the morning workout, deked a defender, spun past another and jogged down the field with a flair that raised eyebrows at the Giants' minicamp for rookie and free agents.

"I am very excited,'' Manningham said between workouts at Giants Stadium. "There is no better situation that I could be in right now coming in and playing for the Super Bowl champs. It is fun out there, I get to meet new people and everything. I get to play with great players. They aren't here yet, but I get to play with great players.''

The Giants are excited having Manningham, although they realize there is a reason he fell to the third round in last month's draft.

In a letter to NFL executives, he admitted that he had failed two drug tests while at Michigan. That came on the heels of an arrest a year ago after police found a prescription pain killer and a controlled substance in a car in which he was riding with two other men.

Joe Flacco

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — After the Baltimore Ravens traded up to select Joe Flacco with the 18th pick in the NFL draft, it's no surprise the team expects him to be the leader of the team's offense.

Part of the journey to that position began Friday at Ravens minicamp when Flacco, on his first day in an NFL uniform, got tested — on the field and off — by the franchise's real leader, linebacker Ray Lewis.

"I'm a fan of Joe Flacco," said Lewis, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year entering his 13th season. "But if you've met him, and I've been playing with him and messing around with him, his personality is incredible."

Lewis, who slipped away from the final minutes of the afternoon practice for some quality time with the quarterbacks, has a vested interest in the success of whoever lines up under center this season, be it Flacco, second-year player Troy Smith or veteran Kyle Boller. One of them will be charged with mounting an offense to support the Ravens defense that has ranked no worse than sixth in the NFL in the past five seasons.

Remember when we had Xavier Omon on the show? 

KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: The rookie has two bags, an MP3 player and a ticket he's eyeballing like a straight-flush poker hand. He fetches a ride with his girlfriend, because his old green clunker died months ago. She tells him she loves him, and that she'll see him in three days.

It's just the way Xavier Omon always wanted it. As a sophomore at Beatrice High School in southeastern Nebraska, he told a handful of people -- only the ones he trusted -- that someday he'd be an NFL running back. But life, for the first 23 years at least, has been far less hopeful. He was 8 when his brother was killed by a drunken driver; he was 14 when another brother committed suicide.

Division I football snubbed him, recognition eluded him, but none of that matters now because Omon is holding a plane ticket to rookie camp. He's dressed in gray pants and an Ecko sweatshirt. He knows it's the fanciest outfit he'll need for his first week in the NFL.

Michael Oher OT Ole Miss

Wes Bunting, NFL Draft Analyst, joined us to discuss his top 15 senior prospects for the 2009 draft, and there are some blue chippers this year.

We will have some quotes from Wes, meanwhile, click onto the link below for indepth analysis on each prospect (Even some discussion on juniors).

Here is the link to the show

With the 2008 NFL draft now behind us, it's never too soon to look at the top seniors in the class of 2009. I will be hard at working scouting and figuring out the rest of the nations top talent in the coming months but the top 15 is set, highlighted by one of the top Tackle prospects to come along in years.


1. Michael Oher- Offensive Tackle, Mississippi (6'5, 325)

A naturally gifted athlete with rare physical skills for a man of his dimensions. Does a nice job in space, he can dip and bend at the knees while getting around the corner and into the second level. Plays low with good flexibility and leverage, has a powerful lower half and good overall base strength. Comes out of his stance low and can really jolt defenders with his strong initial punch. Holds the point of attack when pull rushed. Has huge hands and long arms but needs to work on his hand placement and has a tendency to get impatient and will lunge at times. Great feet, can slide laterally and mirror defenders with ease. Shows the quickness to get out of his stance low and get around on reach blocks and seal the edge. Has good body control and can get out to the second level quickly and seal off a moving target. Slides well down the line, has the power to lock on and drive defenders off the ball. Has elite explosion out of his stance and change of direction skills in pass protection. Has the feet to consistently reach the corner and cut off speed rushers. Does a nice job with his initial punch, keeps his balance and recoils very quickly. Has the body control and balance to work back inside and really stun defenders on their counter move. Displayed great overall power and grit against former LSU defensive tackle, Glenn Dorsey. Has some well documented learning disabilities and needs to continue to work on his technique, but his overall athleticism, foot quickness, power, flexibility and length make him the most intriguing tackle prospect since Orlando Pace.

2. Fili Moala- Defensive Tackle, USC (6'5, 300)

An explosive, quick twitch athlete with good upper body strength and fight inside. Has the lower body strength to surge through the double team and work his way through the A-gap. Uses his arms and hands well, posses a strong rip move that allows him to disengage from blockers quickly and get up field. Very flexible, a natural bender, coils up well in his stance and really fires out and gets into offensive lineman quickly. Not as instinctive as you would like, has a tendency to overrun the ball and has trouble finding it consistently. Plays with a great motor, loves to chase the ball down the line, plays low and shows the punch and body control to play the piano down the line and slip blocks to make a play. Plays angry and has a great first step out of his stance. Demonstrates very good closing speed toward the ball and will continue to fight through backside blocks. Light and nimble feet with good body control, changes directions quickly and can turn it up field on a dime. Has some character concerns with off-field issues but has some NFL pedigree, as his cousin is former, first round pick, Ravens Defensive Tackle, Haloti Ngata.

3. James Laurinaitis- Linebacker, Ohio State (6'3, 244)

A very instinctive linebacker who diagnoses plays quickly. Has a very fluid hip turn and loses little in his transition. Gets a deep drop into zone coverage and can click and close in an instant. Shows a great burst when he plants his foot and explodes toward the ball. A very aggressive tackler who shows good technique, explodes through the hips and does a good job of wrapping up. At times over runs plays and takes bad angles toward the ball, and will miss some tackles. Very comfortable in man-to-man coverage, shows great body control when breaking on the ball and avoiding contact with receiver. Has good anticipation skills and reads well in zone coverage. Does a good job at the line of scrimmage shifting through traffic in front of him; uses hands well to his protect legs and keep blockers from cutting him. Shows a willingness to take on the lead blocker and shows good strength at the POA but doesn't always shed the block quickly. Overall, a great combination of athleticism and instincts at the middle linebacker position that will become more discipline with experience, and make a run at the top 5 picks in 2009.

4. Rey Maualuga- Middle Linebacker, USC (6'3, 250)

A pocket rocket that shows excellent burst and pop at the point of attack. Click and closes quickly underneath and tackles with a vengeance. A great tackler who absolutely explodes through contact, wraps up and finishes tackles. A very instinctive mike linebacker with a good head on his shoulders. Makes all the play calls at the line of scrimmage and looks very natural in coverage. Has a nice compact back peddle and gets a deep drop in zone, jumps underneath routes well but allows to many receptions in front of him. Is content to just wrap up or deliver the big hit to the ball carrier instead of breaking on the pass. Protects his legs well when moving through traffic and never takes a false step when in pursuit of ball. Reads and diagnoses plays quickly and has the ability to shed blocks well and get to ball carrier. Reminds me a lot of Lofa Tatupu, except more physically dominate in every aspect. A very heady player who reads well at the line of scrimmage and is always around on ball, an absolute plugger who plays with a lot of passion and fire.

5. Tyson Jackson- Defensive End, LSU (6'5, 295)

A well built defensive end that has the athletic ability and power to play inside in a 4-3 or end in a 3-4 alignment. Jackson has very good flexibility in his knees that allows him to play low with a strong base and with leverage. He fires out of his stance, with an explosive first step. He has long arms that allows him to keep offensive lineman off of his body and his active hands allows him to disengage quickly. He lacks the speed to hit the corner as a pass rusher but has a nice array of pass rush moves (spin, rip, arm over) to get to the Quarterback. Shows great power as a bull rusher and consistently walks offensive lineman into the laps of there Quarterback. Holds the POA well when run at, and his long arms and quickness allow him to disengage from blocks quickly and make the tackle. Shows a good motor chasing down plays from the backside and is an aggressive tackler. Needs to work on his awareness, as he is usually the last defensive lineman moving off the snap. Also at times will shoot the wrong gap trying to make a play in the backfield, and the ball carrier will run right by him. Overall, a versatile defensive lineman who posses great size, burst and power to be very effective at the next level, no matter what the scheme.

He was ranked #4 on Wes Bunting's board:

Defensive Tackles
1. Glenn Dorsey, LSU
2. Sedrick Ellis, USC
3. Pat Simms, Auburn
4. Dre Moore, Maryland

TAMPA — Dre Moore could try to avoid the inevitable, but why bother?

Because here's the deal: When you play defensive tackle for the Buccaneers, you are judged against just one man.

"Warren Sapp is a beast. He's one of the best to ever play the position," said Moore, the team's fourth-round pick from Maryland. "No one will tell you that they're comparing you to him. But you know in the back of your mind that when you get tired and wear down, you have to keep pushing because that's who you're being compared to."

NFL Draft Analyst, Wes Bunting, will be with us to chat with new Baltimore Ravens Defensive Back, Fabian Washington. Fabian will be with us shortly so stay tuned.

You can always call in, 347-215-8818, and we will take your questions live on the air.

Link to AFCW Preview

Wes and I also did an AFCN Preview Show and touched on several topics from the Ravens trading for Fabian to the QB controversy between Derrick Anderson and Brady Quinn.

Link to AFCN Preview Show

ALLEN PARK -- The Lions might never get another running back in the same class as Barry Sanders, but Kevin Smith shares one quality with the Hall of Famer: 

Smith doesn't celebrate after scoring touchdowns.

Kevin Smith

"I hand the ball to the ref," Smith said after a morning practice at rookie mini-camp Friday. "Maybe when I become a veteran, I'll come up with a dance, but for now, I'll keep it close.

My coach always told me, when you score a touchdown, act like you've been there before. And I've been there plenty of times."

In 10 seasons with the Lions, Sanders scored 109 touchdowns -- 99 rushing -- and never spiked the ball. He made a half-hearted attempt in a 1996 game, but the ball slipped out of his hand.

Smith, a running machine in three seasons at Central Florida, scored 45 rushing touchdowns (29 in 2007).

Smith also came close to surpassing Sanders' NCAA record for most rushing yards in a season.

Smith gained 2,567 yards in 14 games; Sanders had 2,628 at Oklahoma State in 1988 and won the Heisman Trophy.

Rashard Mendenhall

The Pittsburgh Steelers can't afford to have the wheels come off Willie Parker again.

NFL teams rarely devote a first-round draft pick to a position of strength, but that is exactly what the Steelers did by choosing Rashard Mendenhall of Illinois with the No. 23 pick last weekend.

Suddenly, Willie Parker -- the NFL's leading rusher until breaking his right leg on Dec. 20 -- finds himself competing for every carry and every snap. The Steelers didn't draft Mendenhall to sit him, and that means Parker must share a ball that rarely wound up in any other Pittsburgh back's hands last season.

Parker and Mendenhall were on the field together for the first time Friday during the Steelers' mandatory three-day minicamp, and the Steelers' Pro Bowl running back acknowledged it was a bit of an adjustment sharing a position.

"I mean, I was a little surprised" when Mendenhall was drafted, Parker said.

Eddie Royal and Ryan Clady

How athletic?

"I can dunk," a smiling Clady said Sunday after flying into Denver to meet with Broncos coaches and officials, as well as with the local media. "I like playing basketball. It's fun."

Clady became the first-ever player from Boise State to be drafted in the first round on Saturday when the Broncos made him the 12th overall pick. He was the second offensive tackle chosen - the first being former Michigan star Jake Long, who went No. 1 overall to Miami.

Clady said he already has received a text message from Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler. From the moment Clady returns for mini-camp sessions next month, he figures to be the favorite to earn the starting job at left tackle.

"(Cutler) said he was excited to have me back there (protecting his blind side)," Clady said. "I said I was, too. I'm just excited for the new techniques to learn and the new scheme."