May 21, 2013

Rams pay a vist to USC’s Ace Sanders, eye a few in-state players

Ace Sanders breaks free on a 70 yard punt return against Georgia last year.

Ace Sanders breaks free on a 70 yard punt return against Georgia last year. The Rams were in Columbia to see him Wednesday.

St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher was in Columbia Wednesday to get a closer look at USC wide receiver Ace Sanders. Rams General Manager Les Snead was also on the trip along with a few other assistants, including offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. 

Fisher confirmed he was in town to see Sanders, but did not elaborate on how the meeting went.  Shortly after the meeting Sanders sent a satisfactory tweet:

 Ace Sanders ‏@AceSanders1

Think I did what I was supposed to do

Sanders was a first team All-SEC player last year and was the offensive MVP in the Outback Bowl.

Like a many teams, the Rams are making the rounds at a lot of different schools to get one last up close look at potential draft picks. The NFL draft is next week in New York.

The Rams have tapped into the Palmetto State for quite a few players the past few years. Defensive back Darian Stewart and offensive lineman Rockevious Watkins, two former Gamecocks, were on the roster last year. During the offseason the team signed former Gamecock tight end Jared Cook to a huge free agent contract. Fisher coached Cook when the two were with the Titans.

Last year the Rams selected  Blythewood native and former Appalachian State standout Joe Quick early in the draft. Going back further, St. Louis drafted Clemson’s Tye Hill in the first round several years ago.

That South Carolina to St. Louis pipeline could continue next week. Recently former USC running back Marcus Lattimore said St. Louis was one of the teams he’s been talking to prior to the draft. And at least one report has indicated the Rams could be interested in Clemson wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

Most draft experts expect Sanders to be anywhere from a  second to fourth round pick. Lattimore’s draft stock is unclear because of two major knee injuries the past two seasons.  Hopkins could go in the first two rounds.

Pro Football Weekly names Dwayne Allen NFL’s top rookie tight end

Dwyane Allen

Dwyane Allen

Former Clemson tight end Dwayne Allen has made Pro Football Weekly’s NFL All-Rookie team.  Allen  caught 45 passed for 521 yards in his rooke campaign with the Colts.  He aslo had three touchdowns. 

Here is a look at the full team:

OFFENSE

  • QB Robert Griffin III / Redskins
  • RB Alfred Morris / Redskins
  • RB Doug Martin / Buccaneers
  • WR T.Y. Hilton / Colts
  • WR Justin Blackmon / Jaguars
  • TE Dwayne Allen / Colts
  • C NONE
  • OG Kevin Zeitler / Bengals
  • OG Amini Silatolu / Panthers
  • OT Matt Kalil / Vikings
  • OT Mitchell Schwartz / Browns

Defense

  • DL Fletcher Cox / Eagles
  • DL Chandler Jones / Patriots
  • DL Bruce Irvin / Seahawks
  • DL Michael Brockers / Rams
  • LB Bobby Wagner / Seahawks
  • LB Luke Kuechly / Panthers
  • LB Lavonte David / Buccaneers
  • CB Casey Hayward / Packers
  • CB Janoris Jenkins / Rams
  • S Harrison Smith / Vikings
  • S Mark Barron / Buccaneers

 Specialists

  • PK Blair Walsh / Vikings
  • P Bryan Anger / Jaguars
  • KR David Wilson / Giants
  • PR T.Y. Hilton / Colts
  • ST Johnson Bademosi / Browns

SportsTalk Rewind 10.22.12: Panther voice Mick Mixon (AUDIO)

By: Brian Rauf

Every Monday we are joined on SportsTalk by Mick Mixon, the play-by-play man for Carolina Panthers radio, to talk further about the Panthers and the rest of the NFL.  Carolina fell to 1-5 on Sunday falling to the Dallas Cowboys by a final score of 16-14, which ultimately led to the firing of general manager Marty Hurney.  This week, Mick and the crew talked about this firing, Cam Newton’s struggles, and the mounting frustrations of the Panthers.

AUDIO: Mick Mixon [3:19]

Who Dat? A Saints fan almost officiated the Saints-Panthers game

The NFL frowns upon replacement refs working games involving their favorite team

It turns out Brian Stropolo’s dream of officiating a game involving his favorite NFL team just wasn’t to be Sunday. Stropolo was slated to be the side judge in Sunday’s Panthers-Saints game in Charlotte, but the league removed him from the crew after it was discovered Stropolo was a fan of the Saints.

How did he get busted? Facebook, of course. Stropolo had pictures of him in Saints gear on his page and there were even comments from his friends amazed he was going to be working a Saints game.

Making matters worse for Stropolo is the fact the Panthers won the game.  Maybe he could have changed things for his favorite team?

Now might be a good time for the NFL to go ahead and pay the real refs whatever they want so we can be done with this kind of nonsense.

 

Da’Quan Bowers tears Achilles, will miss ’12 season

Former Clemson star Da'Quan Bowers is still trying to get healthy

Former Clemson defensive end and current Tampa Bay Buccaneer Da’Quan Bowers tore his Achilles tendon today during an offseason workout. He will miss the entire 2012 season. Recovery time for a torn Achilles ranges anywhere from nine to 12 months.

This is a devastating injury for Bowers, who was just getting to full strength after battling back from a knee injury he suffered his final season at Clemson. Bowers entered last year’s NFL draft as a projected top five pick, but slipped to the second round because of concerns about his injured knee.

The knee injury limited Bowers early in his rookie season, but he was starting come into his own with solid contributions late in the year. He finished last season with 25 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He was expected to start opposite Adrian Clayborn this season.