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

Feel free to leave comments on here or visit us at Facebook or Twitter!

You can also find me on Twitter @LukeNSims

The year was 2010 and the first sports season of the new decade, baseball season, was amongst us.  I’ve never been much of a baseball fan, but for some reason I continue to partake in the tomfoolery that is fantasy baseball with my high school buddies.  With my fantasy baseball draft impending, I focused on sleepers for the upcoming season and I had one particular player in mind: Chris Davis.  Yes, the same Chris Davis that hit .239 in 113 games in 2009. The same Chris Davis that got sent down to Triple-A halfway through that 2009 season, but came back in August sporting a .308 average and that nasty hitter’s touch that every fantasy baseball GM (and actual baseball GM) dreams about.  But it wasn’t just the great minors numbers or the bounce-back he showed in 2009 that confirmed to me that he was the sleeper to pick in 2010.  Plus, he was batting .550 during and looking like an absolute stud-ebaker. His strikeouts were down, his batting average was up, his hits were still home-running – he was a lock of a bounce-back candidate.

A lock to go right back down to Triple-A.  He lasted just 120 at-bats, batting just .192 and hitting only 1 HR in the process.

Chris Davis, preparing not to hit. Source: Jim Cowsert-US PRESSWIRE

For those of you that care less about baseball than I do (which is saying something, believe me), the point of this story may not be clear to you, but for anyone that jumped on the training camp hype from last year (Kellen Winslow, or god forbid, Cecil Shorts III), you know what I’m talking about.  Now, it’s not that training camp hype is all bad.  Training camp hype allowed me to zero in on Jimmy Graham last year, for one.  But, it’s important to look at how NFL players fit with their teams, the depth of the position on those teams, and what broader contexts may affect their play.  And there’s no better group of players to do that with than NFL rookies, so I’m going to hone in on 10 rookies that can make a huge impact this year for their teams, both real and fantasy.

Trent Richardson: Current OTA Stud. Future Fantasy Stud? Source: Eric P. Mull-USPRESSWIRE

Trent Richardson, RB, Cleveland Browns

The fantasy community can sure jump on an impact rookie running back right away.  Touted by everyone’s mother as the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson, T-Rich has the potential to deliver top 5 RB numbers when it’s all said and done, and is valuated as such.  Projected to go anywhere between the end of round 1 and the beginning of round 2, the excitement over Richardson is reminiscent of the excitement over other young running backs that ended up being fantasy busts in their first year with the starting gig – the Ryan Matthews and Shonn Greenes of the fantasy world.  Now, let’s not get it twisted – Richardson is neither Matthews nor Shonn Greene, and that’s a good thing (well, Matthews is actually good now, but that’s beside the point).  Yet, there is still plenty to be concerned about with Richardson.  The consistent 8-man fronts he’s going to face because of his QB situation, the offensive line which produced a 28^th ranked rushing attack last year, the AFC North (I know Cincinnati has Reggie Nelson who’ll probably give up a long run or two to Richardson, but Baltimore and Pittsburgh will make sure it’s not nearly that easy), and simply making the transition as an NFL rookie.  Can he still produce top 10 RB numbers? Absolutely.  But I’ll let you spend the first round pick on him.

Robert Griffin III, QB, Washington Redskins

RGIII comes into the league one year after Cam “The Man” Newton took fantasy football by storm, and it’ll show.  The recent success of running quarterbacks (Vick, Cam, Tebow) will make fantasy owners jump the gun on RGIII, but his situation should come under heavy scrutiny.  The receiving corps of Pierre Garcon, Josh Morgan, and Santana Moss should be more than serviceable, but still doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence, and the pass rush heavy NFC East should be a huge concern, both for RGIII’s production and health.  However, it’s pretty hard to argue that he isn’t a perfect fit for Mike Shanahan’s bootleg offense (if Jake Plummer could do it, RGIII will eventually excel at it), so if you caught the short end of the stick when drafting your first QB, take a flyer on the new face of DC (sorry Barack).

Michael Floyd, wishing he had a better quarterback. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

Michael Floyd, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Big, fast, strong, and fairly polished for a rookie receiver.  Floyd has the tools to make an impact from day 1, which is one of the reasons why he was the 13^th pick in this year’s draft.  And he’ll never be double covered.  Yeah, playing alongside a top 3 WR has its benefits. So why does he show up third on this list?  Kevin Kolb.  Or John Skelton.  Whoever you think will actually win the starting QB job.  Both have big enough arms, but both also have an incredibly infuriating tendency to check-down instead of going through their progressions.  So, if Floyd is running 7 yard hitches, he might have a shot at a good season with either of those two at QB, but if you’re going to take a flyer on a receiver as your draft comes to a close, he’s the guy you should think of.

Alshon Jeffrey, WR, Bears

Boy, did Christmas come early for Jay Cutler or what? While Jeffrey and Brandon Marshall are both more possession-receiver types, they fill a huge need for the Bears and that passing offense.  Cutler’s got the gun to sling it to Jeffrey anywhere on the field, and while Marshall isn’t Larry Fitzgerald, he’ll still command enough attention to give Jeffrey his chances.  Now, you can’t ignore the offensive line issues, mostly because it hasn’t improved at all from a personnel basis, but in a league of measurables, Jeffrey has the size, strength, and jumping ability to be exactly what the Bears and Jay Cutler are looking for on third downs and more.

Hopefully we'll be smiling all season long. Source: Phil Sears-US PRESSWIRE

Justin Blackmon, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

The two-time Biletnikoff Award winner has the best opportunity of any WR in the draft to make an impact.  He’s an X receiver with nowhere close to another comparable receiver as far as talent on this roster, and he may have just enough help between MJD, Laurent Robinson, Marcedes Lewis, and Mike Thomas to keep defenses from honing in on him and giving Blaine a true number 1 receiver.  The negatives, however, are plenty.  The QB play from last year, the offensive line play from last year, the play from Marcedes Lewis and Mike Thomas from last year, the work he’ll need to put in with regards to route running and expanding his route tree.  But hey, with Jerry Sullivan on our side, are you going to be the one to bet against him?  Just don’t overpay come draft day.

Reuben Randle, WR, New York Giants

The truth of the matter with Randle is, I don’t know if the Giants found their Manningham replacement like everyone says they did.  He was great value where he was picked, and he’s a solid addition to an already solid WR corps.  Unlike some teams, like the 2011 Jaguars, that couldn’t put out one quality fantasy pass catcher, the 2011 Giants showed that, like the Packers, they can put out a multitude of quality WR/TE pass catchers.  Randle has a great quarterback and the opportunity to make an impact, and for a non-first round rookie, that’s all you can really ask for.

Why So Serious, Childs? Source: Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE

Greg Childs, WR, Minnesota Vikings

When you think of the prototypical X receiver, you think of size, speed, strength, jumping ability, and confidence.  You think of the best WR on his team.  But, what you don’t think of is the 134^th pick in the draft.  The self-proclaimed “steal of the draft”, Childs was the most productive of the three Arkansas WRs taken in this year’s draft and arguably the most athletic.  He’s coming off an injury, but he sure looked good at his pro day.  Plus, he fills a huge need for the Vikings, who have the perfect slot receiver but are sorely missing a true number 1 to help out Christian Ponder.

Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay Bucs

He’s got a huge opportunity, and you know the new Bucs coaching staff is going to side with him over LaGarrett Blount.  But, they’re very similar backs in terms of style, so it’s really going to be a matter of who produces when it gets down to it.  He’s got as good an opportunity as any running back not named Trent Richardson.

Andrew Luck clearly didn't get the uniform color memo for team photos. Source: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts

Best QB prospect since Peyton Manning?  Joining the worst team since the 1976 Bucs who went 0-14?  Okay, that might be overkill, but you get the point.  The Colts did a good job retaining some of their impact players, despite their age, and won’t be as bad this year as they were last year.  That being said, Luck’ll need more than Reggie Wayne and a rookie TE to succeed.  He’ll have his chances this year, so I’d put him in solid QB2 range.

Ronnie Hillman, RB, Denver Broncos

Who?  The backup to a 31 year old running back with a history of knee issues.  The running back who’ll play in the same backfield as the guy that made Joseph Addai look like a stud.  A super fast twitch athlete who may struggle early on because of the uptick in competition from San Diego State, he’s incredibly quick, patient, and despite his size, has goal line capabilities.  He’ll be fighting a former first round pick in Knowshon Moreno for the backup spot when the season starts, but the fight won’t be a fair one, and not in the way you might think.  Moreno has come close to wearing out his welcome in Denver and is coming off of ACL surgery.

Honorable Mentions:

Ryan Broyles, WR, Detroit Lions

Incredible hands, incredible quickness.  He’ll need both if he’s going to contribute, but he sure has the talent to do so.  Does he get the quickness back after November ACL surgery?  Keep tabs on your league’s waiver wire.

David Wilson, RB, New York Giants

The Giants just put out running backs, and with the injury history of Ammad Bradshaw, you have to assume that the former Hokie is in the best possible situation to succeed.  He’s a fast-twitch athlete in the fastest of senses, and he’s got good enough vision to burst through the holes that the Giants O-line will produce.  His main hindrance will be getting on the field, especially due to his poor pass blocking (and we know Tom Coughlin won’t stand for that), but with Bradshaw’s injury history and Wilson’s talents, I’ll sign off on taking a late round flyer on him.

Agreements, Disagreements, and other great fantasy fits? Leave them in the comments!

– Zain

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