Football Outsiders

13 May 2013, 12:06pm by Rivers McCown

MMQB: Chargers, Butler, Sauer

This week's MMQB is focused on Manti Te'o and the Chargers rookies, remembering Jack Butler and George Sauer, and looking back at Ronde Barber's remarkable durability.

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5 comments, Last at 20 May 2013, 5:21pm by JFinMD

13 May 2013, 10:09am by Mike Tanier

Mandatory Monday: Under the Radar

Thought I would write a football article about football this week.

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6 comments, Last at 14 May 2013, 5:58am by Insancipitory

13 May 2013, 03:50am by Rivers McCown

Do No Harm

Sally Jenkins and Rick Maese on the unanswered question of who should bear the medical costs of retired players with long-term injuries.

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24 comments, Last at 16 May 2013, 1:18pm by Insancipitory

10 May 2013, 05:23am by Danny Tuccitto

Andy Reid Loves True Sophomore Running Backs

I'm in the midst of working on a running back projection model that will run in Football Outsiders Almanac 2013, and came across this incredible (at least to me) factual nugget: From 1999 to 2013, there have been 431 college running backs who either were invited to the NFL combine or were drafted despite no combine invitation. Of those 431, 266 amassed some amount of DYAR over the course of their NFL careers.

Of those 266 running backs, only three got drafted as true* sophomores, and their names are LeSean McCoy (2009), Dion Lewis (2011), and Bryce Brown (2012, though his situation was much more complicated). You don't have to be Mike Tanier to notice that the Andy Reid-era Philadelphia Eagles were responsible for all three picks.

Obviously, McCoy's track record speaks for itself and Brown was a dynamic replacement in limited action last season, so this isn't a critique. Rather, it's simply an observation worth relaying to our readership; I have no clue (as yet) what to make of it in relation to the larger picture of projecting college backs.

Discuss.

*Five other running backs since 1999 have been drafted as redshirt sophomores: Willis McGahee (2003), Knowshon Moreno (2009), Ryan Williams (2011), Ronnie Hillman (2012), and Lamar Miller (2012).

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12 comments, Last at 12 May 2013, 10:17am by Doc Beara

10 May 2013, 02:10am by Rivers McCown

Black and Brown Blues

Our latest "Inside the War Room" (but not really!) article: Chuck Klosterman visits the Browns.

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14 comments, Last at 18 May 2013, 3:48am by Jerry

08 May 2013, 03:46pm by Tom Gower

Ronde Barber Retires

As reported by Jay Glazer, longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber has chosen to retire. Start the Hall of Fame talk immediately!

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40 comments, Last at 24 May 2013, 10:06am by bachslunch

06 May 2013, 03:42pm by Rivers McCown

Jaguars Start Anew

Some of you may already be aware that the Jaguars have brought in a lot of people and committed a lot of resources on the football analytics side. Albert Breer has some specifics on the internal thinking on their draft... (Click to read more)

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12 comments, Last at 10 May 2013, 9:18am by lumberjack

06 May 2013, 09:04am by Rivers McCown

MMQB: More Thoughts On Draft

PK likes the Vikings draft, looks at who could own the 2014 draft (the 49ers and Rams), and notes why Santa Clara is the odds-on favorite for Super Bowl 50.

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2 comments, Last at 08 May 2013, 12:28pm by bravehoptoad

06 May 2013, 08:43am by Mike Tanier

Mandatory Monday: Draft Farewell

If there is one thing I will strive for, moving forward with draft coverage, it will be as much specificity as possible, especially when we get into the whole "character" thing. May this be the last year that we read an inflammatory scouting report about anyone, quarterback or other, black or white, and wonder whether the scout/draftnik completely lost his objectivity and just went after the kid.

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26 comments, Last at 08 May 2013, 8:22pm by LionInAZ

02 May 2013, 05:42pm by Mike Tanier

Grading the NFL Draft

Draft grades, teacher style.

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37 comments, Last at 06 May 2013, 12:17pm by bravehoptoad