They Said It: week of April 4

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, whose club holds the fourth overall pick in the draft and has a QB in Carson Palmer who is threatening to retire if he is not traded, quoted on Bengals.com discussing Auburn QB Cam Newton: "He's a real fine NFL prospect. He's got a great, great personality. Magnetic." Lewis continued: "He's got it. … In Cam's case, he's been 'it' three times," Lewis said of Newton's collegiate journeys. "He went to Gainesville that way with that kind of fanfare. He went to Blinn Junior College where he had to slink down as low as he could go. He came out of it that way and went to Auburn that way. Now he comes into the NFL. He's kind of had that 'it,' been that kind of guy for awhile."

 

Broncos GM Brian Xanders hopes to find four starters with his first four picks in the draft, as quoted in the Denver Post: "You can't do anything about the past. We're very focused on our draft board and our process right now and trying to get four starters with those first four picks." Xanders continued: "We do have flexibility up and down this draft. Remember, we had that last year. We received phone calls and compiled picks and we have that flexibility again this year. That second pick is a valuable pick. And then in the second round we could trade back five or six spots and also pick up a fourth-rounder and possibly rebuild picks that way."

Rams RB Steven Jackson, joking about how the lockout has affected his conditioning, as quoted on StatesmanJournal.com: "I've put on like 30 pounds, getting some gray hairs, so when I return to camp (Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo) won't recognize me."

Former Giant and current NFL analyst Michael Strahan, quoted in Philadelphia Sports Daily on Plaxico Burress' prospects of a successful comeback in the NFL after his release from prison later this summer: "The best thing that happened to Plaxico was Michael Vick. It showed that you did something, you serve your time and that you come out and play and there's redemption in it. Plaxico injured himself, so there would probably be a lot more leeway with him than there was with Michael Vick … if you can forgive [Vick], then you have to forgive Plaxico."

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Updated at 7:04 p.m. EST Wednesday, April 6

Ravens WR Derrick Mason, speaking to 105.7 FM in Baltimore (and quoted in an ESPN.com story), discussing NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's insistence that HGH testing will be required as part of a new CBA: "He [Goodell] needs to stop crying about blood tests and HGH. He needs to try to get a deal done, that's what he needs to do. He's been on this crusade about HGH, but he needs to be on a crusade about getting these owners together and trying to work out a deal. To me, he's a joke, because every time I look, he's talking about performance enhancements instead of talking about trying to figure out a way to make sure football is played in August."

Patriots RB Danny Woodhead, who has advanced to the elite eight of the "Madden 12" cover contest, explaining that he did not even know he was in the competition until a buddy informed him to ESPN's "First Take" as quoted in the Boston Herald: "I didn't even know I was on the (Madden bracket) until a buddy texted me. Obviously, there are maybe a few fans (who voted for me). But I'll take the votes. It is crazy, to go from being cut and then in less than a year, to have a chance to be on a Madden cover." Woodhead also joked on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" on ESPN Radio, according to the Herald: "At least Tom Brady knows my name now. I always joke around with him about that."

Packers TE Andrew Quarless, quoted on greenbaypressgazette.com on the lockout occurring during his first NFL offseason: "It's been kind of tough for me, just being my first year, just my first offseason. I'm kind of not really knowing what's going on too much." Added Quarless: "All I can do is really stay in shape and be ready when that phone rings."

Vikings VP of player personnel Rick Spielman, discussing how this week's hosting of their annual Top 30 visit for draft prospects is essentially the last step in the information-gathering process before the club begins constructing its draft board, as quoted on Startribune.com: "This will be it. The last part of this where we're trying to get all these questions answered before going to our draft meetings. There will be times where our coaches or one of scouts in the office will go out before the draft and there may be one or two [prospects] that filter in here over the next couple weeks." Spielman also said: "Knowing where we're going to be at, there will be probably five positions that I know we'll look at our 12^thpick and then we'll sort that out. Like I said, there are a lot of other needs to fill at that 12^th position if it's not a quarterback. I can tell you this: We're going to take the best player available when it comes to our pick. That I know."

Titans OG Leroy Harris, quoted in The (Nashville) Tennessean on the camaraderie that is being built by working out with teammates during the lockout: "It's good to get some football stuff and do some training and stuff, and you always want to be around the guys. When it comes to building a team, you just don't pop up during the season and build a team and start right now and it is good to work with guys. So it is good to build a bond, and I think that's what's going on now."

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Bills head coach Chan Gailey, joking with reporters when discussing the Patriots, who possess six of the draft's first 92 picks, as quoted in The Boston Globe: "They're probably unbeatable. Probably go undefeated for three, four straight years.'' Added Gailey speaking more seriously: "Hey, they've got to get it right, they have to stay healthy. They're just like everybody else. You have to do everything just as right as you can do it and keep trying to win. And they've done a good job of it. They've done a good job of compiling picks for this draft and they'll probably parlay some of this into something next year.''

Rams GM Billy Devaney, quoted on Boston.com discussing the trade offers he received for the first pick of the second round in last April's draft — the first time in which the draft was a three-day event, and the second round began on the second day of the weekend: "At the end of the day, there were a few teams that we talked to, there were some offers. We would have had to move significantly back in the second round, and what we were going to get back for it, we just didn't think it was worth passing a lineman [OT Roger Saffold] that had this much talent.''

Jaguars GM Gene Smith, explaining that his approach to drafting a quarterback this April is the same it has been in years past, as quoted on Jaguars.com: You'd like to add a quarterback every year if you could. I know that's not always possible. People say, 'Why would you try to add a quarterback every year?' You're just going to go into the draft with that mindset. If I was a college coach, I would try to recruit a quarterback every year to make sure I had one." Added Smith: "I'm not going to manufacture one. If one's there when we're drafting, I will take them. I'm about executing. I'm not about trying to get too cute. We do so much work on these players. If there's one we feel is value at that position and happens to fill a need, great."

Ravens S Tom Zbikowski, who has taken up professional boxing during the lockout, quoted on SI.com on March 31 on his plan to return to the Ravens once a new CBA is in place: "If I was on a less competitive team, I'd say yes, I could see myself sticking with boxing. But we have been to the AFC Championship Game. We have lost to a team that has been in the Super Bowl two years in a row. It's tough being that close. Playing in the Super Bowl is something you dream of and there is no way to pass that up. But if I'm on a team that is 5-11 or something, obviously winning that world belt starts to look a lot better. But I just feel starting something and getting that close to a goal, I can't pass that up. It is attainable. We have a team that can do it."

Monday, April 4, 2011

Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez, explaining that if the season were lost because of the lockout, he likely would retire, as quoted in The Sporting News: "Would I sit out a whole season and come back — probably not, honestly. At this point, at my age, I don't know if that would be smart of me to do something like that. … "I think it [the work stoppage] might cut into camp. Into the season, I doubt it. Who knows though? Hopefully we can get these issues resolved. The arguments from the owners' perspective are a little outrageous to me. It's the No. 1 game in the world. I think there are so many ways you could structure a deal. Maybe there are too many chiefs, not enough Indians. Maybe we should get one or two representatives from each side to hammer it out. But between the owners and the players, that's a lot of different opinions and that's why the process is going so slow. That's why I don't think it's going to be resolved anytime soon. But I just don't see an entire season being taken away. That would be sad. Not just for the players and the owners, but the fans."

Former longtime NFL scout Dave Razzano, quoted on azcentral.com sharing his concerns about Texas A&M OLB Von Miller: "I'm not a Von Miller guy at al. I know he had an ankle injury, but I think it's a cop-out. I've look at enough tape. The stuff he does that I don't like has nothing to do with an ankle sprain at all." Added Razzano: "Von Miller does not have a real competitive demeanor. That's the kind of guy who has 'bust' quality."

Hall of Fame QB Dan Marino, whose former team, the Miami Dolphins, reportedly is interested in acquiring Bengals QB Carson Palmer, says he would be willing to trade a third-round pick to acquire Palmer if he were running the team, as quoted on ArizonaSports.com: "I've always liked Carson. For a third-rounder, I would do it."

Dolphins WR Brandon Marshall, quoted in The Palm Beach Post on being in the best shape since he came out of college: "Where I'm at today, it doesn't even compare to where I was during any time during the season last year or the season before that. (The past) two months we've been working, I'm back to that guy that was training to the Combine. My body fat is down to like seven percent — when I was in college I was at six percent. My hips are feeling great, knees are feeling great. Just, man, it's beautiful." Added Marshall: "I'm seeing myself just grow and grow. And I really think I'm heading into my prime this year, so I'm excited about it."

Patriots CB Leigh Bodden, discussing the performance of Devin McCourty as a rookie, as quoted in the Boston Herald: "You can never say, 'This guy is going to be great or this guy is going to be this good,' but when he first came, he made a few plays where I was amazed and shocked and like, 'Man, he's going to be a player.' Me, personally, I didn't think he would be as good as he was during the season, but like I told a lot of those young guys, 'When you get that playing experience on the field, you just learn on the go.' " Bodden continued: "He's a smart player, and that's the thing that some rookies don't have, is the knowledge of the game. That's the majority of football, especially as you get older, not going off your athletic ability anymore. It's knowing the game. And he knew that coming in. And he had athletic talent. So that just propelled him to have the great season that he had."

Source: http://www.profootballweekly.com/2011/04/07/they-said-it-week-of-april-4

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