Sideline Scouting

Word on the street is that former North Carolina wide receiver Hakeem Nicks showed up to his pro day overweight and sloppy. Nicks declined running the forty. At the combine, Nicks ran a 4.49-forty time.

The Denver Broncos and quarterback Jay Cutler appear to be sizing each other up. If Cutler has his way, he will be flying out of Denver, for good, come draft day. Several teams have showed interest, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Redskins.

Donovan McNabb is rightfully unhappy with the situation at hand in Philadelphia. We are hearing that a non-disclosed trade offer may be sent to Denver in the near future, if it hasn’t been sent yet. With two first round picks and a veteran, All-Pro QB to go along with it, the Eagles may have the best leverage to acquire Jay Cutler from Denver than anyone else in the league.

The Cleveland Browns have former Ohio State wide receiver Brian Robiskie in their scope. The release of Joe Jurevicious and the arrest of Donte Stallworth opens up the Browns WR depth chart for the worse.

Former Connecticut RB Donald Brown could possibly break into the first round of the NFL Draft. It is almost a foregone conclusion that he will be the third running back selected in April.

Todd Heap, tight end for the Baltimore Ravens, may soon be knocking on retirement’s footsteps. Unofficially, the Baltimore Ravens signed TE L.J. Smith (who isn’t an upgrade over Heap), but that may be a sign of things to come. Heap has struggled to maintain his health in recent years and is no longer the receiver that he once was.

Former Oregon wide receiver Jaison Williams continues to see his stock fall hard. Entering the 2008 college football season, Williams was potentially a third round prospect but he ran a sub-4.7 forty at his pro day, which will make him a free agent at best, according to an anonymous NFL scout.

Word is that the New England Patriots are preparing to make a splash here soon, especially since they stockpiled draft picks. On their radar is Carolina DE Julius Peppers, whom would probably convert to OLB for the Pats.