Jags First Round Pick Justin Blackmon was arrested for an aggravated DUI in Oklahoma. Source: Phil Sears-US PRESSWIRE

A lot of the aspects about Blackmon’s DUI have been covered both here and at Big Cat Country - two sources that tend to be pretty good at reflecting the opinions of the fans and the public on the Jacksonville Jaguars seeing as how they are both written by fans.  PFW, however, decided that their incompetent take was considerably better than actually reading whole quotes from press conferences and the Jaguars official website.

As PFW says,

When asked if he had a drinking problem, Blackmon quickly denied the possibility, instead saying he had a lapse in judgment and was done drinking “for now.” Although he appeared contrite, Blackmon would have been better served by saying he expects to get counseling and letting professionals weigh in, we hear.

Believe it or not, but this is the face of a man who is happy about his selection of the most productive wide receiver available in the 2012 draft. Source: Phil Sears-US PRESSWIRE

While Blackmon was quick to deny that he has a drinking problem, I doubt that it showed a lack of knowledge of his own situation.  Blackmon is a smart kid.  He’s a competitor.  He knows when he does right, and he knows when he does wrong.  The DUI situation with Jacksonville is certain to give him some guidance on where that right and wrong line is because the team does not allow bad behavior.  Head coach Mike Mularkey and general manager Gene Smith made sure to place emphasis on the goals of the organization and to openly criticize Blackmon for his poor behavior during the June 6th press conference.  Who cares if he expects to get counseling, it will probably be handled personally or by the organization – let them deal with it.

Rather than look at the emphasis and hard line approach of the organization, PFW decided that it should instead criticize the Jaguars for the Blackmon selection.  (Before I go into my vent on PFW here, let me say that the jury will be out on all rookie wide receivers until the season comes and we actually see them perform) Blackmon was the highest regarded receiving prospect in the draft.  Every other college receiver was playing for second place to be selected.  Yet, if you are PFW you think that other clubs thought Blackmon was a worse prospect.  Here I defend the general national media in saying that Blackmon was the best prospect available, truly, but of you’re PFW you found the few clubs who ranked other players higher than Blackmon:

PFW talked to some NFL teams leading up to the draft that had at least four receivers ranked higher than Blackmon…

While I find it possible some clubs did have Blackmon ranked lower than other players, I’m willing to bet that it was because they weren’t looking for a #1 receiver, knew they had no shot at trading up for him, had higher needs, knew they shouldn’t waste their money and time on a receiver they shouldn’t trade up for due to cost, etc…  Of the other receivers available in the draft only Michael Floyd really has the physical tools to compete with Blackmon and had about the same concerns.  Four other receivers would include Kendall Wright, Alshon Jeffery, and Stephen Hill along with Floyd.  You could maybe make a case for one or two of those receivers being higher than Blackmon.  But all four? Really?  There had to have been other factors like draft position and need taken into consideration there.

PFW ultimately showed their lack of knowledge with a statement on how the team views Blackmon out of the gate.  They say,

Blackmon’s NFL career wasn’t off to the most promising start before last weekend’s events. He has received mixed reviews throughout offseason team activities, even being called out publicly by head coach Mike Mularkey for being lost at times.

Those microphones are devices used to broadcast what was actually said by someone. Next time use a whole quote. Source: US-Presswire

So far, the reviews out of the Jaguars have all been positive.  The actual quote from Mularkey goes likes like, “When he (Justin Blackmon) knows what he’s doing, he’s very good.  When he doesn’t, he’s lost.”  Who isn’t lost when they don’t know what they’re doing?  How many times have you had no idea what your supervisor has been saying and kind of float through things because you don’t know what’s going on?  That doesn’t mean you’re a bad performer, it means you don’t know what’s going on.

Fortunately, by all accounts Blackmon has been asking questions and learning the offense.  The coaches have praised him for speaking up when he doesn’t understand.  When you’re a 20 something rookie just learning an offense, that’s perfectly acceptable.  It’s about time that media outlets stop proclaiming doom and gloom every time something bad happens to a player.  Did Blackmon get a DUI?  Yes.  Is he suddenly an incompetent wide receiver because of it?  Only if you’re picking your quotes and slicing and dicing them as you see fit.

Get it right Pro Football Weekly, do some research before you make yourself look foolish.

- Luke N. Sims

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1. Justin Blackmon sat out of the final day of the May 4-6 minicamp with a sore foot.  Coach Mike Mularkey said it wasn’t a big deal and that the team had “[seen] what we needed to see” so taking him out for the day to prevent further aggravation was fine by him.  Blackmon displayed his superb hands the first three practices by making plays on poorly thrown balls.  There haven’t been any circus catches and he is learning the playbook, but Mularkey fully expects that “He’ll get faster in everything he does.”
2. Michael Floyd has some sources exited about his play.  Some are even saying that he is expected to be the most productive receiver. Floyd would like to cut down his weight to increase his endurance and stamina in the Arizona offense.  After the mini-camp, Floyd knows he needs to get faster and quicker in order to be competitive in the NFL.
3. Kendall Wright as you all well know, is not a favorite of mine.  But despite my opposition, the Titans thought he was worthy of a first round pick.  The Titans gave Wright his first ever playbook.  Yes, you read that right.  Over the mini-camp weekend, it was revealed that Wright has never studied a playbook and instead has memorized every play through high school and college.  It may appear that this receivers brainpower is superb to go with hands that have the Titans buzzing.  After his solid mini-camp the Titans are impressed that he is learning everything about the offense.  This may be a receiver that succeeds with his brain – quite the scary thought for the Titans’ opposition.
4. Brian Quick has reportedly turned heads at the St. Louis mini-camp.  He reportedly didn’t drop a ball all day, which is really something.  The Rams think they have found the explosive player they need to pair with Sam Bradford.  Based on what I’ve been hearing out of St. Louis, I think they’re probably right.

5. 

   Stephen Hill wowed scouts at the combine with his unbelievable speed.  The Jets, of course, bit.  Hill already has his contract signed and had nothing to distract him in camp from his play.  Hill impressed the team, especially head coach Rex Ryan, with his speed and big 6’4″ frame.  Hill dropped one pass in drills – a deep ball that bounced off his finger tips.  Ryan is excited over Hill’s performance and says he will be starting this season.

6. Alshon Jeffery has ex-Vikings head coach Mike Tice pretty happy.  He beat the cornerbacks, plucking the ball above their heads during the Chicago Bears’ mini-camp.  While Jeffery left Friday with cramping, he came back to participate all through Saturday.  Some say he didn’t look entirely comfortable, though his hands still have the Bears excited.  He looks like he will be a good addition behind newly acquired WR Brandon Marshall.
7. Rueben Randle has already begun impressing the Giants with his polished play. While he had a few drops during the mini-camp he displayed great athleticism and should serve as a very good replacement for Mario Manningham (San Francisco) in the coming season.  Expect his hands to improve with time but the athleticism to remain (and cause fits for defensive coordinators).

8. 

   Mohamed Sanu didn’t separate himself from the pack during the rookie mini-camp.  He made some plays against 1st round selection, CB Dre Kirkpatrick, but hasn’t established himself as a top receiver for the Bengals…yet.  I fully expect Sanu to make the Bengals roster and prove well worth the third round pick spent on him.  Head Coach Marvin Lewis expects Sanu to come in and contribute right away.  He is everything the Bengals expected from him.  I bargain they’ll receive much more in the long run.

Keeping tabs on the top receivers in the 2012 class is crucial as we grow to (hopefully) love and appreciate Justin Blackmon.  Much like the comparisons between Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco, the receivers from 2012 will always be pegged to each other.  So far it is appearing that the players will make impacts, but who will make the most impact on their respective rosters is what matters.  It sounds like Michael Floyd will provide exactly what John Skelton/Kevin Kolb need in Arizona, currently he appears to be the measure against which all others will be weighed.

Of course, that’s if you believe everything the coaches told the press following the mini-camps…

- Luke N. Sims

1. Justin Blackmon sat out of the final day of the weekend’s minicamp with a sore foot.  Coach Mike Mularkey says it isn’t a big deal and that the team had “[seen] what we needed to see” so taking him out for the day to prevent further aggravation was fine by him.  Blackmon displayed his superb hands the first three practices by making plays on poorly thrown balls.  There haven’t been any circus catches and he is learning the playbook, but Mularkey fully expects that “He’ll get faster in everything he does.”
2. Michael Floyd is expected to be the most productive receiver according to some sources.  Arizona’s own coach, Ken Whisenhunt admitted he had Floyd as the seventh best player on his board and the second best receiver before the draft.  Arizona doesn’t have its rookie mini-camp until the 11th, so news has been slow, but expect some good reports to come out about the Larry Fitzgerald-mentored Floyd.
3. Kendall Wright is not a favorite of mine.  But despite my opposition, the Titans thought he was worthy of a first round pick.  When Wright was taken, many expected a defensive player.  GM Ruston Webster defended his selection by saying he’d rather take a wide receiver he had rated highly than his third or fourth rated defensive prospect.  Wright enters a good situation with wide-man Matt Hasselbeck and the franchise’s future – Jake Locker competing to throw at him.  Wright will participate in the Titans’ rookie mini-camp beginning on May 11th.
4. Brian Quick has a shot to be something special in St. Louis.  It’s reported that head coach Jeff Fischer and Co. were less stressed about having to nab Blackmon on draft day after visiting with Quick but you’ve got to wonder about that.  Quick is talented and by all reports Fischer expects him to do big things for the Rams.  The Rams love Quick, but some of the fan base seems confused.  We’ll find out how enamored the team is when mini-camp begins on May 11.
5. 

   He's got hands to go with his speed! Source: Jim O

   Stephen Hill wowed scouts at the combine with his unbelievable speed.  The Jets, of course, bit.  Hill already has his contract signed and had nothing to distract him in camp from his play.  Hill impressed the team, especially head coach Rex Ryan, with his speed and big 6’4″ frame.  Hill dropped one pass in drills – a deep ball that bounced off his finger tips.  Ryan is excited over Hill’s performance and says he will be starting this season.

6. Alshon Jeffery enters a pretty plush situation in Chicago.  He isn’t expected to be the top receiver on the depth chart thanks to the Bears trade for Miami’s Brandon Marshall.  But with a role model like Marshall around, you’ve got to wonder about how Jeffery’s character concerns will go away.  Will he be motivated enough?  I’m not certain he will be, but Chicago’s willing to take a chance.  They’ll find out if he has shed some pounds and is ready to work when he reports for their May 11 mini-camp.
7. Rueben Randle was an intriguing choice by the Giants in the second round. Randle was selected with the 31st pick of the second round.   Marc Ross, New York’s director of scouting, thinks Randle is better than his college stats because of the mediocre quarterback play at LSU.  This helps to explain why the Giants had Randle ranked higher than many teams.  Randle himself says that he’s not quite NFL ready.  Makes you start to scratch your head about the confidence the kid will bring with him to mini-camp on the 11th.
8. 

   Sanu's got skills! Source: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

   Mohamed Sanu went to the Bengals in the third round.  Sanu is a player I believe could have been a first round prospect and will succeed in the NFL.  Sanu is a gifted runner and should fit well with A.J. Green and Andy Dalton in Cincinnati.  The fanbase seems excited to have Mo’ Sanu around and will be able to see some great play.  Sanu could make a big splash with the Bengals this season, and I’m looking forward to that beginning with mini-camps on May 11.

While the jury will be out on all of these players for a bit, it’s about that time when teams can really begin to analyze what they’ve got.  As the reports come in, we’ll be keeping tabs here at B&T to see how Justin Blackmon compares to his main competition.  The receiver class is deep this year and it’s looking like a lot of teams are relying on their receivers to provide some highlights this offseason and on the field when the regular season finally begins.

- Luke N. Sims