Calvin Pryor Nails His Debut for the New York Jets

Jets rookie safety Calvin Pryor made his preseason debut last weekend against the Bengals, and the first-round pick out of Louisville did not disappoint. Pro Football Spot's Johnny Shea named Pryor as one of five Jets to watch against the Bengals, and the coaching staff gave us plenty of opportunity to see him in action. Pryor played 49 snaps in Saturday's win, making seven tackles (four solo, one for loss), defending two passes and recovering a fumble.

As always, the box score doesn't tell the whole story. While the numbers look good, many defensive backs can rack up tackles without them having much meaning. A poor front seven can lead to copious tackle opportunities for an NFL safety, but if most of those tackles come more than five yards from the line of scrimmage, is that safety really an impact player?

This was not the case with Calvin Pryor's performance on Saturday. In the interest of full disclosure, Pryor was one of my favorite players in this year's draft and somebody I was higher on than many of my peers. I watched a good amount of Louisville football last season and Pryor absolutely popped off the screen. He's a hard-hitting playmaker with range and ball skills, the protype for a top-tier NFL safety.

Pryor certainly has his flaws, which I went into in this scouting report on the opening Thursday night of the draft. I also note in that report that I think the Jets should have taken a cornerback, namely Darqueze Dennard, and that position is certainly the albatross of the Jets' defense at the moment. Regardless of need, Pryor is proving why the Jets' brass was so high on him: He is ALWAYS around the football.

Read more at Pro Football Spot

C-USA Conference Preview: Top Senior Prospects for 2015 NFL Draft

By Chris Tripodi and Matt Caraccio

On July 1^st, Conference USA once again fell victim to realignment.  With mainstays such as East Carolina, Tulsa and Tulane all joining The American Athletic Conference (AAC), Conference USA begins this season amidst change.  Unfortunate as this may sound, there is plenty to be excited about for 2015 and the future.

This fall Conference USA will be welcoming Old Dominion University and Western Kentucky University – two programs ready to compete. Western Kentucky University has been on a coaching carousel lately, with three head coaches in the last three years.  Saying goodbye to head coach Bobby Petrino last year, the Hilltoppers will welcome newly appointed head coach, Jeff Brohm this fall. Coach Brohm will take over a team that went 8-4 in the Sunbelt Conference and produced two players selected in last year’s NFL draft.  Old Dominion, a startup program in 2009 will join CUSA under guidance of head coach Bobby Wilder.  The Monarchs are no pushovers sporting a 7–0 record against FCS teams last year as a member of Colonial Athletic Association. The Monarchs will be returning 17 starters and look ready to compete at the next level.

New programs aside, Conference USA will maintain all of the teams, save one (Tulane), that produced 8 players selected in last years NFL Draft.  The talent pool going into this year’s draft is far from barren. Let’s take a closer look at some of the players that you should know going into this season.

1. CB Bryce Callahan, Rice

Overshadowed by Philip Gaines last year, Bryce Callahan will finally get his opportunity to star this fall.  Standing 5’10”, 180lbs Callahan is a talented young cornerback.  A 2^nd team all-conference selection last year, Callahan recorded 34 tackles (3 for a loss), 3 INTs and 10 pass-break-ups.  An excellent defender in man coverage, Callahan consistently stays low in his backpedal and has the ability to flip his hips without losing speed.  On intermediate and short passes, Callahan changes direction at speed and rarely allows the receiver any separation.  On deep passing plays, Callahan tracks the ball well in the air and shows the ability to break up plays with regularity.  It would be nice to see Callahan covert several of his pass-break-ups into interceptions this year. In space, Callahan is an average tackler. Specifically on obvious running downs, Callahan had trouble shedding the blocks and tackling in space. It is important to keep in mind however; the Owl’s defensive scheme does not call upon Callahan to be the primary force player on most plays. Ultimately Callahan seems to possess good strength and I am confident he can improve his tackling at the next level.

Bryce Callahan profiles well as a nickel cornerback at the next level. His excellent instincts in coverage combined with his impressive athletic ability could make him a nuisance for slot receivers. Callahan could be one of the late round steals in this year’s draft.

2. CB D’Joun Smith, Florida Atlantic

An All-Conference USA First Team performer last season, Smith is easily the Owls’ best defensive player. Ranking second in the nation with seven interceptions and third in pass break-ups, the senior corner was named to the Jim Thorpe Award preseason watch list and is firmly on the NFL Draft radar. Listed at 5-11, 190, Smith has decent size and showed the ability to stick in downfield coverage last season, especially against Auburn’s Sammy Coates, who stands 6-2. Coates had three catches in the game, but none when covered by Smith. The Florida Atlantic star has the recovery speed to make up ground when beat and shows a willingness to come up hard against the run, making tackles around the line of scrimmage.

Combining those skills with his production and obvious ball skills, Smith is an intriguing prospect to watch for Florida Atlantic in 2014. He’s already draftable, but could play himself into a late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick with another standout season.

Read more at Optimum Scouting

Reasonable Expectations for Jets Quarterback Geno Smith

After a rookie year full of ups and down in 2013, quarterback Geno Smith was ranked dead last among NFL quarterbacks in a recent ESPN poll of 26 league insiders. In response to the poll, Smith said he expected to be “in the top five” by this time in 2015 or 2016. As with almost everything in life, the truth falls somewhere in the middle. My apologies for the cliché.

Smith’s season can be broken down into three portions: The first half of the season, where his QB rating of 71.6 would have ranked him 34^th out of 37 qualified quarterbacks if extrapolated over a full season; The third quarter of the season, where a 22.0 rating would have ranked him, well, you can figure out where; And the final quarter of the season, where his 83.6 rating would have ranked him 22^nd in the NFL.

Whether you like QB rating as a statistic or not, and it certainly has its flaws, in this case it accurately reflects where Smith was as a passer in each part of the season. Smith’s 43 sacks taken were tied for fifth-worst in the league, and his eight fumbles were tied for ninth-worst. Of those 43 sacks, 28 came in the first half of the season, as did six of his fumbles. Those two stats aren’t included in quarterback rating, but they still don’t help Smith’s overall case.

What does help Smith’s case is looking at the weapons he had available during the third quarter of the season. Smith completed at least 15 passes in 12 of 16 games last season, with the only exceptions being the four straight weeks during that portion of the season. The common denominator in those four games was the absence of Smith’s only reliable target in the passing game, wide receiver Jeremy Kerley, who left early in the second quarter of the Saints game with an elbow injury.

Read the rest at Pro Football Spot

Jason Babin Can Help the New York Jets

As the New York Jets opened training camp this week, they added former Jacksonville Jaguars pass rusher Jason Babin on a two-year contract, with a team option for the second year. While Calvin Pace and Quinton Coples are locked in as the team's starting outside linebackers, the 34-year-old Babin should play an important role for the Jets.

A two-time Pro Bowler who tallied 30.5 sacks in 2010 and 2011, Babin has gotten to the quarterback just 14.5 times in the past two seasons. While the Jets are the seventh NFL team he's played for, he is far more accomplished than another summer acquisition the Jets made back in 2011, former Bills first-round pick Aaron Maybin.

Read the rest at Pro Football Spot

Can the Knicks Sign-and-Trade Carmelo Anthony to Houston?

A sign-and-trade for Anthony is complicated. (ballslife.com)

Now that the NBA finals are (mercifully) over, it's time to look ahead to the NBA offseason. New York Knicks fans have been looking ahead for two months now, knowing that star forward Carmelo Anthony can opt out of the final year of his contract and become a free agent.

New Knicks president Phil Jackson has given Anthony until June 23 to make his decision, and all signs point to Anthony opting out rather than staying for his final year, valued at $23.33 million against the cap. Even if he decides he wants to stay in the Big Apple, opting out will land him a longer contract with more job security.

The two early frontrunners for Anthony's services appear to be the Houston Rockets and the Chicago Bulls. The Rockets have both Dwight Howard and James Harden signed to big contracts, but are lacking a third star to complete their version of the "Big Three." Backup center Omer Asik and former Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin have expiring contracts that will pay them just under $15 million total (only $8.37 million against the cap), which could intrigue the Knicks.

The Bulls, on the other hand, have just one player (Derrick Rose) making over $12.2 million for the 2014-15 season. Forward Carlos Boozer is set to make $16.8 million, but could be a victim of the amnesty clause to unload his expiring deal. That contract could also be of interest to a Knicks team looking ahead to the 2015-16 season, when they will have only $13.4 million allocated against their salary cap.

Pulling off a sign-and-trade with Houston could be tricky, as the new NBA collective bargaining agreement prevents teams from acquiring a player via sign-and-trade if they are above the luxury tax "apron," a fancy way of saying that a team more than $4 million over the luxury tax cannot acquire a player via sign-and-trade. The NBA luxury tax is projected to rise to $77 million this season, meaning the "apron" would be $81 million.

As of right now, the Rockets fall just under $64 million in 2014-15 salaries. Taking on Anthony's $23.33 million and shedding either Lin or Asik's $8.37 million would put the Rockets at about $79 million of payroll for next season, about $2 million under the apron. While this is doable for Houston, the $81 million would become a hard cap of sorts, according to ESPN and Basketball Insider's Larry Coon:

"Starting in 2013-14 if a team acquires a player in a sign-and-trade, the apron -- the point $4 million above the tax line -- effectively becomes a hard cap for the remainder of that season." (via CBA FAQ)

This trade would limit Houston's cap flexibility, but is certainly doable. The only remaining question is what additional compensation the Knicks would receive besides an expiring contract. The Rockets have all of their future draft picks intact and New York should request multiple first-round picks, the earliest of which they can get being 2014 and 2016, thanks to the Ted Stepien Rule prohibiting picks from being dealt in back-to-back years.

So is the combination of Jeremy Lin or Omer Asik along with the 25th overall pick in 2014 and a (likely) non-lottery pick in 2016 enough for Anthony? I say no, especially considering what the Knicks gave up to get him from Denver in a similarly-leveraged situation in 2011. Enter Chandler Parsons.

A 2011 second-round pick out of Florida, Parsons set career-highs in minutes (37.6), points (16.6), rebounds (5.5) and assists (4.0) last season. As the stats bear out, Parsons is a well-rounded player who also uses his height (6-9) and long arms to play above-average defense in addition to his offensive skills. In Jackson and coach Derek Fisher's new triangle offense, he would be an ideal fit in the "point forward" role where Scottie Pippen and Lamar Odom have thrived in the past.

Houston will reportedly decline Parsons' team option this summer, which will make him a restricted free agent. Since he met the contract criteria to be considered a starter, he would then count for $2.87 million against the cap. Declining his option gives the Rockets the ability to match any offer that comes in for Parsons but, if he receives an offer sheet from another team that the Rockets match, he will become ineligible to be traded, according to Coon.

"To qualify for a sign-and-trade, all of the following must be true:

• The player must re-sign with his prior team -- a team cannot include another team's free agent in a sign-and-trade.
• The player must finish the preceding season with that team (deals are no longer allowed that sign-and-trade players who are out of the league, such as the sign-and-trade that sent Keith Van Horn from Dallas to New Jersey as part of the Jason Kidd trade in 2008).
• The player cannot be a restricted free agent who has signed an offer sheet with another team (see question number 44).
• Starting in 2013-14, the team receiving the player cannot be above the "apron" ($4 million above the tax level) after the trade^{1, 2}. A team above the apron can receive a player in a sign-and-trade if the trade reduces the team's payroll and the team finishes the trade below the apron.
• Starting in 2013-14, the team cannot receive a player in a sign-and-trade if they have used the Taxpayer Mid-Level exception (see question number 25) that season.¹
• The trade must be completed prior to the first game of the regular season (sign-and-trades are not allowed once the season begins).
• The player cannot be signed using the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level exception, the Taxpayer Mid-Level exception, or any exception that cannot be used to offer a three-year contract (see question number 25)." (via CBA FAQ)

This is another complication in a potential Knicks-Rockets trade, which would have to be completed before Parsons receives an offer sheet from another team. If Parsons was signed to a new contract, the Knicks would be ineligible to receive him back, since the trade would not get them under the tax apron, as is required for a team who is acquiring a newly-signed player.

That is the key here. This L.A. Times article from 2013 discusses the Lakers' situation with Dwight Howard when they were above the apron. As it states:

"The Lakers are legally permitted to sign and trade Howard to another team. It's the acquiring of a player that is banned for teams above the tax apron. As an example of the distinction, the Lakers can technically sign and trade Howard to the Hawks for Al Horford (who is under contract) but not for Josh Smith, in a dual sign and trade."

If Parsons got a new deal, it would be considered a dual sign and trade which is not possible with the Knicks' roster, which will be worth over $92 million against the 2014-15 cap. They would need to shed over $10 million to get below the apron, which would become a hard cap for them upon completing a sign-and-trade as well. The combination of Parsons and Lin/Asik would save the Knicks over $12 million under the cap, and get them just below the apron.

Based on the new CBA, it looks like there is one way for the Knicks and Rockets to work out a sign-and-trade involving Parsons. It would need to get done before he is eligible to receive an offer sheet on July 1. The money would work out and, while the Knicks would owe either Lin or Asik an extra $6 million as part of the poison pill provision that got Lin to Houston in the first place, that should be a small price to pay to get something back for a player who seems ready to leave.

If a deal didn't work out with Houston, the Bulls are far below the apron as well with just $66.5 million counting against their 2014-15 cap. With two first-round picks in this year's draft, the Bulls could trade the same picks (2014 and 2016) as the Rockets, along with Boozer's contract. The Knicks would likely also want a young piece, like shooting guard Jimmy Butler, who makes just over $2 million in 2014-15.

New York would be over the apron in this case by about $6.5 million, which I don't believe is an issue since they aren't receiving a newly-signed player. If it were a problem, they could always throw in a few contracts. J.R. Smith makes almost $6 million and Raymond Felton almost $3.8, or the Knicks could eschew adding Butler to the trade as well. It's questionable whether the Bulls would even trade Butler at all, as they have high hopes for the former second-round pick.

It's certainly possible the Bulls may deal Butler to get Anthony, but the Knicks would prefer a trade that included Parsons, who doesn't fit in Houston's long-term plans if they acquire Anthony. They wouldn't have to give up any extra assets and Parsons' fit in the triangle would be exquisite. Much remains to be seen in this case but as you can see, things are much more complicated than they were under the old CBA.

$14,898,938

Knicks' hiring of Fisher a step in right direction

Derek Fisher and Phil Jackson could be very effective. (ESPN)

After an extended wait, one long enough to allow Derek Fisher's Oklahoma City Thunder to reach the Western Conference finals before losing, new Knicks president Phil Jackson finally has his man as head coach. It may not have been his first choice, current Warriors coach Steve Kerr, but Fisher's hiring is still a positive step for the franchise.

The 26th head coach of the Knicks, Fisher is the first of the past eight with no previous head coaching experience after 14 seasons of cycling through retread coaches like Lenny Wilkens, Larry Brown, Isiah Thomas, Mike D'Antoni and Mike Woodson. While Wilkens and Brown are Hall of Fame coaches, neither was able to get the Knicks over .500 in their short stints on the bench.

Jeff Van Gundy was the last Knicks head coach to obtain his first head coaching job with the franchise, and perhaps not coincidentally, he was also the longer tenured since Red Holzman, who lasted 11 seasons from 1967-1977. Van Gundy coached the Knicks for six seasons and had a .590 win percentage, third highest in franchise history behind Holzman and fellow legend Pat Riley.

By bringing a fresh face into the organization as the team's coach, Jackson's hiring of Fisher will allow the former championship point guard to develop into the role and grow with his players, much like Jason Kidd did with the Brooklyn Nets this season. Like Fisher, Kidd went right from playing into coaching and experienced noticeable growth as a head coach as the season went on.

Knicks' coaches since 2001 have tried to fit the roster in place to their coaching tendencies, while Fisher will be able to mold his own style around the talent on the court instead. That style should be well-respected by his players thanks to Fisher's five championship rings as a player and the team will help Fisher grow as much as he will help them.

Fisher also developed respect from his younger teammates during his later seasons, much like Kidd did with the Knicks during the 2012-13 season. New York's chemistry fell apart when Kidd left to coach the Nets before this season and Fisher may be able to help fill that void, albeit not on the court.

The next question for the Knicks surrounds the future of Carmelo Anthony, which will only heat up now the coaching position has been filled. Fisher's experience with Lakers star Kobe Bryant and, more recently, Thunder star Kevin Durant, provides hope that not only can Fisher be key to retaining 'Melo, but also help him develop into the unselfish player that shows up from time to time, but only in flashes.

Regardless of what happens with Anthony, the Knicks made a very progressive move hiring Fisher. His potential as a leader, the lack of success the team has had with recent retread coaches in the 21st century and Van Gundy's enjoyable run as a fresh-faced head coach are all reasons for optimism surrounding the Knicks this season. Now if they could just make a few tweaks to
that roster...

2014 NFL Draft Review: NFC East

While the Redskins finished a dismal 3-13 last season, no NFC East team drafted in the top 10 thanks to Washington’s 2012 trade for Robert Griffin III. Instead, Dan Snyder’s second overall pick went to the Rams and became Auburn tackle Greg Robinson, while the Giants were in position to draft the division’s newest playmaker.


Dallas Cowboys: Zack Martin was a draft riser as the offseason went on and checked in 12th on our board, proving to be good value at 16 for Dallas. His shorter-than-average arms made many scouts deem Martin a guard and he very well could have a Pro Bowl future at the position, but the Notre Dame product has a strong anchor, quick feet and strong hands and should be a very good tackle as well, which is the more important position in the NFL. The Cowboys traded their second and third-round picks to Washington for the 34th overall pick, where they took Boise State defensive end Demarcus Lawrence. It was a steep price to pay, but Dallas views Lawrence as their replacement for DeMarcus Ware and he was the last high-upside edge rusher available in a shallow class. Lawrence likes to rush upfield and eschew his responsibilities against the run, but Ware parlayed a similar style into multiple Pro Bowls in Dallas. Lawrence’s relentless motor, fluidity and bend around the edge could lead to double-digit sack totals.

Read the rest at Draft Insider