Sunday, April 02, 2006

NFL DRAFT 2006

Just about anyone who is anyone among personnel people around the NFL will be in Los Angeles later today for the Southern California on-campus workout which could feature the first two players taken at the 2006 draft later this month in RB Reggie Bush and QB Matt Leinart. While neither player either participated in the Senior Bowl or worked out at the Scouting Combine, Leinart, who is still locked in a battle with Jay Cutler of Vanderbilt and Texas’ Vince Young for the top grade among QBs, will face considerably more scrutiny today than Bush who appears to be a virtual lock to be selected first overall by Houston. Other Trojans to watch today include RB LenDale White, OT Winston Justice, OGs Deuce Lutui and Fred Matua, TE Dominique Byrd, DBs Darnell Bing, Justin Wyatt, and John Walker, and DE Frostee Rucker.

For those who keep track of these things, several sources are reporting that former Texas QB Vince Young actually scored a 7 on that Wonderlic test at the Scouting Combine in late February, and that he got 16 on a re-test. Early published reports had indicated that Young had scored a 6 on the original test. The low score led to a great deal of speculation as to whether Young would be able to pick up a complicated NFL offense. That in turn had Young’s status for the 2006 draft spinning all over the place, although he appears to have been able to right the ship to a large degree with a solid on-campus workout last week. Because of his unique attributes – Young is a terrific athlete with a very strong arm, but has questionable mechanics and limited pocket experience – Young remains perhaps the hardest player to grade for pro teams to come along in awhile.

Louisiana Monroe QB Stephen Jyles decided not to take his chances on the NFL draft and has signed with Edmonton of the CFL.

Minnesota will not match the offer sheet restricted free agent WR Nate Burleson signed with Seattle late last week. As aresult, the Vikings will receive the Seahawks’ 3rd round pick at the 2006 draft – the 95th overall – as compensation. The Vikings’ decision apparently brings to an end a rather nasty cat fight between the two teams that started when the Vikings signed star Seattle OG Steve Hutchinson to an offer sheet that included a so-called ‘poison pill’ clause – that the Seahawks couldn’t match without breaking their salary cap bank. To retaliate, the Seahawks’ offer sheet for Burleson included a ‘poison pill’ clause of its own that would have guaranteed Burleson $49M – the same figure that would have been guaranteed Hutchinson if the Seahawks had matched the Vikings offer - over the life of the contract if he played at least 5 games in 2006 in the state of Minnesota.

Updating an earlier story, the Houston Chronicle is reporting that the Texans are close to finalizing a trade that will land Buffalo WR Eric Moulds. The Texans have reportedly agreed with Moulds on the parameters of a restructured contract that would pay the Moulds $14 million over the next four years in a deal that includes a $5M signing bonus. Houston, though, still has to work out compensation with Bufalo before a trade can be finalized, although the tow sides are believed to be reasonably close. The Texans are reportedly offering a fifth-round draft pick in exchange for Moulds, while the Bills are believed to be asking for a fourth-round pick. Talks between the two teams are expected to heat up early next week when the Texans’ front office returns from Los Angeles where they are in town for Sunday’s Southern California pro day which will include star Trojans’ RB Reggie Bush who is expected to be the Texans’ pick with the #1 selection at the 2006 draft.


Howard "Red" Hickey, the NFL coach who invented the shotgun offensive formation with the 49ers, died March 30, his son said. He was 89.
Jeffrey Hickey didn't disclose the cause of his father's death.
Hickey coached San Francisco from 1959-63, going 27-27-1 before resigning three games into the 1963 season. He also played on the Cleveland Rams' 1945 championship team, was an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Rams' title club in 1951 and spent two decades as an assistant and scout for the Dallas Cowboys.
He made history in 1960 when he combined elements of a punt formation, a spread passing attack and a double-wing formation invented by Stanford's Pop Warner into the shotgun -- so named by Hickey because it sprayed receivers around the field.
Before a game against Baltimore in November 1960, Hickey instructed quarterbacks John Brodie and Bob Waters to stand several yards behind the center to receive snaps, giving them more time to survive the Colts' formidable pass rush.
The formation spurred the 49ers to a late-season winning surge, and Hickey combined the shotgun with a three-quarterback rotation in 1961, sending Brodie, Waters and rookie Bill Kilmer into the game on alternating plays.
San Francisco dropped the formation before the next season, but it was revived by coach Tom Landry and the Cowboys several years later, and the shotgun eventually spread throughout football.
The Arkansas native was a two-sport star at the University of Arkansas, earning all-decade honors with the Razorbacks' football team and reaching the 1941 Final Four with the basketball team.
Cecelia Surina Hickey, his wife of 50 years, died in 1995. Hickey, a World War II veteran, is survived by his brother, Bailey; sons Michael, Patrick and Jeffrey; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
His family and friends will hold a private memorial service.

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