May 17, 2012

2012 NFL SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

April 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment

– 2012 Schedules Available on NFL.com and NFL Mobile –

The NFL announced today its 17-week, 256-game regular-season schedule for 2012, which kicks off on Wednesday night, September 5 and concludes on Sunday, December 30 with 16 division games.

The season begins with the NFL’s annual primetime kickoff game. The opener on September 5 on NBC (8:30 PM ET) will feature the defending-champion New York Giants hosting the division-rival Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. In a format introduced in 2004, the Super Bowl champion annually hosts the NFL season opener.

NBC’s Sunday Night Football will get underway on September 9 when the Denver Broncos host the Pittsburgh Steelers (8:20 PM ET) in a rematch of last season’s Wild Card playoff thriller.

Among the highlights of Kickoff Weekend are six division games, including a pair on Monday night, September 10.  ESPN’s Monday Night Football doubleheader will feature the AFC North’s Cincinnati Bengals at the Baltimore Ravens (7:00 PM ET) followed by the AFC West’s Oakland Raiders hosting the San Diego Chargers (10:15 PM ET).

For the remainder of the season, ESPN will televise one game each Monday night in Weeks 2-15 and a Saturday-night contest in Week 16. There will be no Monday night game on the final regular-season weekend (Week 17) to provide more flexibility to the scheduling of the opening weekend of the NFL playoffs.

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Filed Under: NFL

ESPN Announces Talent Lineup for 2012 NFL Draft

April 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

ESPN has announced its commentator lineup for the 2012 NFL Draft Presented by Bud Light, its 33rd consecutive year of televising the event. The three-day telecast will air April 26-28 on ESPN and be available via WatchESPN with the first two nights in primetime.

Chris Berman (covering his 32nd NFL Draft) will host ESPN’s primetime coverage Thursday, April 26 and Friday, April 27, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. He will be joined by analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. (working his 29th Draft) and Monday Night Football analyst and Super Bowl-winning head coach Jon Gruden on ESPN’s main set. Senior NFL Insider Chris Mortensen and NFL Insider Adam Schefter will report from an additional set at Radio City, while NFL32 host Suzy Kolber will conduct interviews on-site with draft prospects.

Former Indianapolis Colts President and Vice Chairman Bill Polian, a six-time NFL Executive of the Year, will be part of ESPN’s NFL Draft coverage for the first time. During the opening round, he will appear from Bristol alongside NFL Live host Trey Wingo. On Friday and Saturday, Polian will be on-set at Radio City. ESPN Scouts Inc. director of college scouting Todd McShay will have a similar schedule, shifting from the ESPN studios in Bristol to New York on Days 2 and 3.

ESPN’s NFL Draft telecast on Day 3 (Rounds 4-7) will feature Wingo hosting from Radio City with Trent Dilfer, Kiper, McShay, Mortensen, Polian and Schefter.  Kolber will co-host from Bristol with analysts Tedy Bruschi, Herm Edwards and Ron Jaworski.

ESPN’s comprehensive NFL Draft coverage will include SportsCenter Special: On the Clock shows, Presented by Castrol Edge, leading up to the NFL Draft telecasts all three days. Wingo will host the Thursday and Friday specials at 5 p.m. from Bristol with McShay and many of ESPN’s top studio analysts, including Cris Carter, Dilfer, Tom Jackson, Ron Jaworski, Keyshawn Johnson, Polian and Steve Young.

Sunday’s coverage includes a two-hour SportsCenter Special: Draft Wrap Up at 5 p.m. on ESPN2 with Wendi Nix, Bruschi, Edwards, Kiper and McShay. The program will re-air at 10 p.m. on ESPN2 and on Monday at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.

ESPN will dispatch reporters to team sites across the country, including: Josina Anderson (St. Louis Rams), Bob Holtzman (Cleveland Browns), Rachel Nichols (Miami Dolphins), Sal Paolantonio (New York Jets) and Ed Werder (Dallas Cowboys).

ESPN Radio

Mike Hill and three-time Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth, co-hosts of ESPN Radio’s Hill & Schlereth, will anchor ESPN Radio’s 2012 NFL Draft coverage Thursday and Friday, April 26-27, from Radio City Music Hall with ESPN.com senior NFL writer John Clayton. ESPN Radio’s coverage will start Thursday at 7 p.m. (Round 1) and Friday at 6 p.m. (Rounds 2-3). ESPN Radio will also present news and updates Saturday from Rounds 4-7.

ESPN’s NFL Draft Promotional Campaign

Set to the song Bright Lights, Bigger City by singer-songwriter Cee Lo Green, a spot titled NFL Draft, Big City debuted today as part of ESPN’s 2012 NFL Draft promotional campaign. The spot features a group of top NFL Draft prospects — quarterbacks Andrew Luck (Stanford) and Robert Griffin III (Baylor), running back Trent Richardson (Alabama), and wide receiver Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State) — and will air on ESPN’s event and studio programming through Thursday, April 26.

 

 

ESPN NFL Draft TV schedule (Apr. 26-29):

 

Date Time (ET) Show Network
Thurs., April 26 3-4 p.m. SportsCenter Special: On the Clock Presented by Castrol Edge ESPN
4-5 p.m. NFL Live ESPN
5-7:30 p.m. SportsCenter Special: On the Clock Presented by Castrol Edge ESPN
7:30-8 p.m. SportsCenter Special: Draft Countdown Presented by CARFAX ESPN
 
8-11:30 p.m. NFL Draft Presented by Bud Light (Round 1) ESPN
Fri., April 27 3-4 p.m. SportsCenter Special: On the Clock Presented by Castrol Edge ESPN
4-5 p.m. NFL Live ESPN
5-7 p.m. SportsCenter Special: On the Clock Presented by Castrol Edge ESPN
7-11:30 p.m. NFL Draft Presented by Bud Light  (Rounds 2-3) ESPN
Sat., April 28 10 a.m.-12 p.m. SportsCenter Special: On the Clock Presented by Castrol Edge ESPN
12-8 p.m. NFL Draft Presented by Bud Light (Rounds 4-7) ESPN*
   
Sun., April 29 5-7 p.m. SportsCenter Special: Draft Wrap Up ESPN2

* Note: some coverage could air on ESPN2 due to NBA playoffs

 

NFL Draft Presented by Bud Light – ESPN’s schedule in 2012:

ESPN – Thursday:

Radio City Music Hall in New York City –

  • Main Set: Chris Berman, Jon Gruden and Mel Kiper, Jr.
  • Second Set: Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter
  • Reporter: Suzy Kolber

Bristol, Conn. –

  • SportsCenter Special: On the Clock Presented by Castrol Edge (3-4 p.m.): Wendi Nix, Tedy Bruschi, Herm Edwards, Todd McShay and Bill Polian
  • NFL Live (4-5 p.m.): Nix, Bruschi, Edwards, McShay and Polian
  • SportsCenter Special: On the Clock Presented by Castrol Edge (5-7:30 p.m.): Trey Wingo, Cris Carter, Trent Dilfer, Tom Jackson, Ron Jaworski, Keyshawn Johnson, Todd McShay, Bill Polian and Steve Young
  • SportsCenter Special: Draft Countdown Presented by CARFAX (7:30-8 p.m.): show originates  from New York with crews from Bristol and Radio City

NFL Team Sites — Josina Anderson (St. Louis Rams), Bob Holtzman (Cleveland Browns), Rachel Nichols (Miami Dolphins), Sal Paolantonio (New York Jets) and Ed Werder (Dallas Cowboys).

 

ESPN – Friday:

Radio City Music Hall in New York City –

  • Main Set: Berman, Gruden and Kiper; McShay will join the group in Round 3
  • Second Set: Mortensen, Polian and Schefter

Bristol, Conn. –

  • SportsCenter Special: On the Clock Presented by Castrol Edge (3-4 p.m.): Nix, Bruschi and Edwards
  • NFL Live (4-5 p.m.): Nix, Bruschi and Edwards
  • SportsCenter Special: On the Clock Presented by Castrol Edge (5-7 p.m.): Wingo, Carter, Dilfer, Jackson, Jaworski, Johnson and Young

ESPN – Saturday:

Radio City Music Hall in New York City –

  • Main Set: Wingo, Dilfer, Kiper and McShay
  • Second Set: Mortensen, Polian and Schefter

Bristol, Conn. –

  • SportsCenter Special: On the Clock Presented by Castrol Edge (10 a.m.-12 p.m.) and NFL Draft: Kolber, Bruschi, Edwards and Jaworski

ESPN – Sunday: 

Bristol, Conn. –

  • SportsCenter Special: Draft Wrap Up (5-7 p.m.): Nix, Bruschi, Edwards, Kiper and McShay (The program will re-air at 10 p.m. on ESPN2 and on Monday at 8 p.m. on ESPN2)

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Filed Under: ESPN, NFL

ESPN Conference Call Transcript: Monday Night Football’s Jon Gruden Discusses QB Camp Series and NFL Draft Prospects

April 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment
ESPN conducted a media conference call today with Monday Night Football’s Jon Gruden to discuss the SportsCenter Special: Gruden’s QB Camp series and ESPN’s 2012 NFL Draft coverage. ESPN will provide live gavel-to-gavel coverage of the NFL Draft from Radio City Music Hall in New York April 26-28, and Gruden will provide analysis on the main set the first two nights in primetime. Full audio replay; Gruden’s QB Camp TV schedule and photos). Transcript:
 
MODERATOR:  I’d like to thank the members of the media for joining us today.  We’ve got a terrific call planned with Jon Gruden, who is in his third year of doing Gruden’s QB Camp.  The shows have already started.  I’m sure many of you have seen them.  This year he’s met with an unprecedented 10 different quarterbacks from across the country who are up for the 2012 NFL Draft.  The big one‑hour special featuring all the quarterbacks will air next Thursday, April 19th, so please look out for that.  Jon will also be part of our NFL Draft coverage in New York at Radio City Music Hall, the first two nights in primetime, Thursday the 26th and Friday the 27th.
Q. It’s clear from your interview with Andrew Luck that you think he’s the real deal.  That being the case and looking at the Colts’ roster, how important is it from your perspective if you’re going to draft that guy and invest your future in him to make the rest of your draft sort of increasing the supporting cast around him, and do you expect the Colts to do that?
JON GRUDEN:  Well, I think the Colts are a lot different team now, obviously, than they were five years ago.  Not only do they have to address needs in the draft, they’re going to have to continue to do that after the draft and in free agency.  Obviously a quarterback’s success rate is largely dependent upon those around him, not just on the field, but he’s got to embrace a new system.
 
I know Bruce Arians is coming over from the Pittsburgh Steelers.  They’ve got a new head coach.  So they’ve got to increase their personnel.  There’s no question.  Marvin Harrison is gone, Reggie Wayne is at a different stage in his career, Dallas Clark is gone.  I don’t know who the feature back is going to be, so I would assume if Indianapolis does indeed select Andrew Luck that they’ll try to upgrade the supporting cast on the field as much as possible.
Q. How do you see Robert Griffin fitting into Washington if the Redskins are going to draft him?
JON GRUDEN:  I think it’s really exciting for the Redskins because Mike Shanahan, his expertise with mobile quarterbacks.  Some of the best tape that I’ve ever studied was Mike Shanahan and John Elway in Denver, the back‑to‑back Super Bowl championship teams.  They took advantage of John Elway’s mobility.  A lot of people forget just how extraordinary Elway was handing the ball off to Terrell Davis and those bootlegs, those naked bootlegs off of those stretch plays, devastating.  What Mike did in San Francisco with Steve Young, another mobile quarterback, those are as good of offensive tape as I’ve ever seen.
So I think when you get Robert Griffin, one of the most explosive quarterbacks to ever play the position, in a Mike Shanahan type system, the possibilities are very exciting, I think, with Mike Shanahan’s imagination.
Q. A lot has been made about Andrew Luck’s football IQ, and I was wondering based on your time with him if you got the sense that it’s all it’s been cracked up to be. 
JON GRUDEN:  Yeah, I think it’s ‑‑ as much as people talk about his football IQ, I think it’s still underestimated.  I’ve never met a guy like Andrew Luck at this stage of the game.  I spent a lot of time talking with Peyton Manning about football, have a pretty good idea from being around the Saints what Drew Brees is like.  We had some guys in Rich Gannon and Brad Johnson, Pro Bowl caliber quarterbacks, that had tremendous football IQ that could really apply it on game day.  But for a senior ‑‑ not even a true senior in college to have this type of football pedigree, I wish I could describe it, his recognition of coverages, his retention, the way he studies the game, his audible mechanics and what he’s been asked to do, and done, with an incredible success rate, unparalleled with anybody I can remember in the college level.
Q. Just wondering what you thought of Russell Wilson and how big of an issue is the lack of height going to be with NFL teams and how will that affect his draft status?
JON GRUDEN:  I think that is the issue with Russell Wilson.  That might be the reason that he’s not picked in the first couple rounds.  The only issue with Russell Wilson is his height.  He’s got tremendous mobility.  I’ve got him at 4.50 in the 40.  He’s mastered two different offensive systems.  When do any of us remember a kid transferring from NC State to Wisconsin in July and breaking every Wisconsin Badger record?  The Badgers could have won every game this year if not for a couple Hail Marys.
This is a tremendous kid.  His intangibles are off the charts.  He walks into Wisconsin, he’s a team captain.  We all know what a great athlete he is.  He’s a high draft choice in baseball.
The only issue is his height, and we use Drew Brees as the classic example.  If you just look at one inch or an inch and a half, that’s the height difference in Russell Wilson and Drew Brees.  But he’s got a lot of questions and answers.  There are not a lot of quarterbacks under six feet that are playing in the NFL today or who have played the game, period.  He’s going to have to answer those questions.  Hopefully the right guy gives him an opportunity and he takes advantage of it, because when you watch the tape, every film you watch at NC State or Wisconsin, the results are very similar.  It’s successful, solid, game day competitive.  It’s exciting.  I wish him the best.  He’s a special kid.  I just hope he gets with the right guy.
Q. What was your opinion of Kirk Cousins going into the interview, and where do you project him to go?
JON GRUDEN:  We got to know Cousins well in the Outback Bowl.  Mike Tirico and I did the Outback Bowl, and we spent a lot of time with Michigan State and with Cousins specifically.  We got to see him practice.  We had him down here at the FFCA headquarters twice.  What you’re getting is a three‑time team captain at Michigan State, so that tells you what type of leader he is.  He does have, I think, NFL prototype size.  He’s in a very good offense at Michigan State.  They ask him to do a lot of different things.  He’s under the center, he’s in the shotgun, there’s a two‑back attack, there’s a no‑back attack.  And quietly Michigan State has become one of the premier football programs in college football.  They’re the winningest team in the Big Ten over the last three years.
So you’re getting a winner.  When you look at B.J. Cunningham, Keshawn Martin, who are outstanding receivers at Michigan State, you can see why.  They’ve got the trigger in Cousins. I see him going in the second round, and I think he’s got a very bright future in the NFL because he’s all business all the time.  He’s a meticulous preparation freak.  I think he’s got very good athletic ability, and he’s got a lot of experience as a starting quarterback in a big arena.
Q. I just wanted to ask you about your impressions of Brandon Weeden and if anything surprised you, either in evaluating his tape or when you met with him a few weeks ago? 
JON GRUDEN:  I think the Oklahoma State Cowboys have the most unique offense in college football.  They do some wicked things to defenses with the no‑huddle tempo to the way they use Justin Blackmon.  They’ve got a great running back.  But at the end of the day, if you counted the top 20 throws that Andrew Luck made, the top 20 throws that Robert Griffin made, the top 20 throws that Tannehill made, Weeden, Kellen Moore, you walk away and you say Brandon Weeden makes the most difficult throws in college football.  He’s got a tremendous arm, great anticipation.  They have a go‑to guy in Blackmon, and whenever it’s man‑to‑man, they turn the two of those guys loose.  It’s a pleasure watching Weeden throw the football. The only downside of Weeden right now is his age.  I think he’s the same age I am, 48 years old.
Q. Can you talk a little bit about Kellen Moore, your impressions of him, and what you think he is as an NFL prospect?
JON GRUDEN:  You know, all these quarterbacks I get excited talking about, but these classic quarterbacks, every one of these young men have unique traits.  Kellen Moore is 50 and 3.  You could say he’s 49 and 3, but really, he won 50 games at Boise State, 6 and 0 against BCS teams.  The statistics are marvelous.  The system of football at Boise is very demanding.  They shift more than any team in the country, maybe other than Stanford.  The volume of different running plays, passing plays, formations, it’s incredible.  They do more than a lot of NFL teams under Coach Petersen there.
Kellen Moore is a coach.  He could probably be an offensive coordinator for a lot of teams.  This guy knows the game inside and out.  I never really got a chance to get behind the scenes with the Boise State football team, but Kellen Moore, he’s the ringleader of the Boise State Broncos.  His poise, his anticipation, his accuracy is outstanding.
Is he big enough?  Does he have enough arm?  And can he get away from pressure well enough?  Those are the challenges ahead for Kellen Moore.  But what a quarterback, what a game day clutch performer he is.  He’s only a couple plays away from being 53 and 0.
Q. A question about quarterbacks in regard to the University of Miami.  Todd McShay has projected that nine Miami players will be drafted.  They only had six wins last year.  They had a similar situation two years ago and had eight guys drafted.  I just wonder how unusual is that in your experience, and can any assumptions be made from it, whether that’s a player problem or a coaching problem or a combination? 
JON GRUDEN:  Well, the draft is an imperfect science.  Just because you get drafted doesn’t mean you become a really good pro player.  A lot of players are getting drafted, let’s be honest, on measurables, guys that have size, guys that have speed, that can jump, change directions.  A lot of the guys get drafted with very little to do with their college tape.
But to answer your question, A, it’s a great question; and B, it probably is a combination of both.  Guys don’t belong in certain systems.  They don’t fit in certain programs as well as they would others.  But it only takes one person to like him.  I’ve seen some guys get drafted that I couldn’t believe got drafted as high as they did or guys that didn’t get drafted that I thought should have gotten drafted.  But that’s a question that I probably can’t even answer.
Q. Sorry I have to indulge in a non‑quarterback question, but I presume you saw enough of (Justin) Blackmon when you were looking at Weeden.  He seems like the yards‑after‑the‑catch guy that would be perfect for a West Coast offense.  Would you agree?
JON GRUDEN:  I think he’d be perfect for an East Coast offense or a Midwest offense.  If you don’t like Justin Blackmon, you don’t like football.  How do you catch 230 passes in two years, and whenever it’s man‑to‑man, whenever it’s single coverage, man‑to‑man, they have the flexibility in their system to change any play and throw it to Justin Blackmon, and they have a wide inventory of ways to get him the ball, down the field, underneath.  They can flip it to him on reverses.  There’s not a lot that you cannot like about Blackmon.
The only thing is I thought he was 6’6″, 240 pounds when I was watching him.  He’s not as big as I thought he was, and he didn’t run the blinding time I thought he would.  But when you watch a film of Justin Blackmon, he’s a difference maker, and I expect that to continue at the next level.  He fits any offense, I think.  I’ve seen him play in the slot, I’ve seen him play flanker and split end.  He’s smart, heady, experienced, and he is clutch in clutch situations, 3rd down, red zone, two‑minute, big games.  That’s the best of Justin Blackmon.
Q. So many people are trying to fortify themselves at the quarterback position with these young prospects, but some other teams like the Chicago Bears have a veteran returning in a healthy Jay Cutler.  I’d be interested in your opinion how much Brandon Marshall will mean to Cutler and the Bears’ passing game overall. 
JON GRUDEN:  I think we all agree that the Bears need a go‑to receiver.  They need a 1,000‑yard receiver.  They need a man that can line up every Sunday and Monday night, whenever the games are, and be a 100‑catch, 1,300‑, 1,400‑yard season go‑to receiver, a guy they can go to in any situation against any corner and expect to win.  And provided that Brandon Marshall comes in focused, whatever the rumors are, whatever the circumstances are, as long as he comes in there with a great state of mind and really gives the Chicago Bears fans Brandon Marshall, I think it’s a great move for the Bears, because I’ve long respected his play between the lines, and if Cutler does stay healthy, that’s a dynamic combination.  They’ve already proved it in Denver.
Q. I’m wondering if you can compare this year’s group (of quarterbacks) that you evaluated to last year’s, especially considering the impact they made in the league, and do you see a second‑ or third‑round guy that you can kind of compare to Andy Dalton?
JON GRUDEN:  Well, I think this year is a little bit deeper.  You never expect quarterbacks to come in as rookies, especially in a lockout year, and do what Cam Newton did; 4,000 yards passing, 700 yards rushing has never happened ever, let alone by a rookie in a lockout season.  Andy Dalton, 20 touchdown passes, taking a team to the playoffs, and he squares off against TJ Yates, a rookie from North Carolina.  I don’t remember 60 rookie starts at the quarterback position ever since the NFL merger, so it would be hard to duplicate that.
But I do think this year’s crop of quarterbacks is very deep.  We had 10 young men in here, I think guys in the second round.  We already talked about Kirk Cousins.  Brandon Weeden’s name has come up.  I think there’s some interesting other quarterbacks like Brock Osweiler, a junior at Arizona State, 6’7″ with a rocket arm and better‑than‑average mobility.  I think there’s some really interesting young quarterbacks in this draft, and those are three of them.
Q. What stood out to you about RG3′s personality when the cameras are off, and what kind of concerns would you have about him?
JON GRUDEN:  Man, I don’t have any concerns about this kid.  What you see is what you get, on the camera, off the camera.  He’s a special young man.  He comes from great stock; both his parents are military people.  He’s been brought up the right way.  He’s sustained the right stuff with all of his success.  He helped put the Baylor Bears on the map of college football.  I don’t remember Baylor ever beating Oklahoma.  I don’t ever remember Baylor back‑to‑back years beating Texas.  And I don’t ever remember Baylor having a Heisman Trophy winner, either.
I think he can do the same thing for the Redskins.  He can revive the Redskins, as long as he stays healthy, he buys in and really takes to this new system, and he continues to work. But this is a special young man, whether the camera is on or off.
Q. I’m curious to know how you thought the Mark Sanchez/Tim Tebow dynamic was going to play out in New York, and also, as a coach, could you ever envision taking your starter off the field 20 snaps a game so the backup can do the wildcat? 
JON GRUDEN:  I remember years ago Paul Hornung took snaps from center with the Green Bay Packers.  A guy named Vince Lombardi was coaching at that time.  Didn’t do too bad, either.  The object of this game is not to compile great passer ratings and yardage and lead the league in yards; the object is to win.  And fortunately for the Jets, they have two winning quarterbacks.
And if we all could agree on one thing, let’s all try to agree that Tim Tebow can do some things to supplement what Mark Sanchez does to help you win, whether it’s two snaps, 12 snaps or no snaps, Tebow is going to help the Jets on and off the field, and he is going to make it miserable for defenses to prepare, because if you think you’re going to prepare for Sanchez and this Jet offense and Tim Tebow, you’d better work some endless hours and call the commissioner and see if you can add some hours to practice because it’s going to be miserable on defense.
Q. The Bills have spent a good deal of money on the defensive side of the ball this year.  My question is on the offensive side.  Do you believe that Ryan Fitzpatrick is a quarterback that they can win with, and also, one of the guys that they have brought in and scouted extensively, Brock Osweiler, could you maybe elaborate a little bit more on your thoughts on him?
JON GRUDEN:  Well, first of all, Osweiler, because he’s fresh in my mind, he’s just a kid.  He’s only really played 15 starts a year under his belt at the college level.  It was a difficult season at Arizona State, as you know.  Coach Erickson was fired before the Bowl game.  I think they lost their last five games.  He’s playing in an offense where he’s basically a read option style quarterback.  You never see a lot of pure drops at Arizona State.
But what you do know is you have an intelligent 6’7″ quarterback that can make a lot of throws.  He’s tough, he’s smart, and he really wants to be great.  And those are some things that you want to develop, obviously.  When you team a quarterback with Chan Gailey, usually the quarterback is going to be put in premier situations, so I do like Osweiler.  I see him going someplace as a future quarterback.
In regards to the Bills, I think Fitzpatrick showed some things early that were very exciting, beating Philadelphia, helping the Buffalo Bills come out of the gate in impressive fashion.  But in this league at the end of the day it’s about sustaining, and Ryan Fitzpatrick has to prove that he can start the season and end the season by putting the Buffalo Bills back in the playoffs where we used to see them.  And that remains to be seen.  I think he’s got to answer those questions himself.
Q. What do you make of Nick Foles and his draft stock, and what do you think he can bring to an NFL team and what do you think he most needs to work on? 
JON GRUDEN:  You know, Nick Foles is another quarterback much like Osweiler who had a difficult season.  Coach Stoops was replaced in the middle of the season.  So as a captain of the Arizona Wildcats, obviously Nick Foles went through a lot this year.  He did not have the supporting cast that some of these other quarterbacks had, no disrespect to anybody.  He got hit a lot.  One of the few Pac‑10 or Pac‑12 quarterbacks to ever throw for 10,000 yards, tough pocket passer.  He’s going to be reliant on a system.  He’s going to have to know his protections better than everybody because he’s not the scrambling, get‑out‑of‑trouble‑and‑create type quarterback.
But what he is is an excellent pocket passer, and he might be ‑‑ from head to shoulders, he might be next to Osweiler the biggest quarterback in this draft.  Very big for the quarterback position, NFL size.  Coaches, GMs covet that size.  He’s accurate.  He’s just been hit a lot.  He’s going to have to really get in a system that he can develop in, I think, and learn the protections and try to develop within that offense as quickly as possible.
Q. I know it’s a big state with some awesome high school football, but beyond that, do you have any explanation or theories on why we’re seeing so many Texas quarterbacks?  These three top guys are from Texas and a lot of recent top guys have been out of Texas. 
JON GRUDEN:  Obviously if you go to Texas, you can probably find passing tournaments going on right now, and if they’re not going on right now, they’ll be going on later this afternoon and for sure tomorrow and the next day.  They throw the ball and have organized passing camps more than anyplace I’ve ever been, and I think it’s a credit to the coaches.  And not only that, it’s a credit to the support that the coaches get to allow some of these things to happen.  But there’s an enthusiasm in Texas for football that might lead the country.  I think we would agree if it’s not Texas, they’re second or third for sure.  They love football.  They’ve done a tremendous job getting people, young people, out for football, and keeping them busy while they develop football.  I think they’ve done it as well in Texas as any other state that I’ve seen.
Q. As always, there’s a few guys in the draft with some concerns, maybe most notably Janoris Jenkins.  As a coach who has coached all types of guys, do you have any rules of thumb regarding whether you should take a risk on a guy or not, what you were trying to find out, and then also, with quarterbacks, is it even more important that they have high character, being the hardest‑working first guy in because of the importance of that position and some of the things we’ve seen with JaMarcus Russell and Ryan Leaf?
JON GRUDEN:  That’s a great question.  At quarterback, obviously you want him to be the heart and soul of your football team.  He has to be the most trustworthy of the bunch, I think.  He’s going to make split‑second decisions, he’s going to touch the ball on every play, he’s going to establish tempo behind the scenes and on the practice field.  So obviously you want a quarterback that has all the right stuff.
And in regards to character, nowadays more than ever, you have to put a premium on good character.  In the past I could name 100 players that were drafted that had some issues maybe off the field.  But nowadays with all the legalities that are out there, you’re testing for steroids, you’re testing just about everything that there is.  The media knows everything now.  And obviously you live in a glass house whether you like it or not, and you have to make sure that if you take a player, as a coach or as a general manager, you assume responsibility for his behavior off the field, because if you get a player suspended or if a player does get in trouble, it’s a reflection on you, it’s a reflection on your team and your fans, and it’s just not a good situation.
So I think right now more than ever, obviously with the new CBA, the new set of rules, you want to try to surround yourself with as much character as you can.
Q. If you were doing a draft board with quarterbacks beyond Luck, Griffin and Tannehill, who would you rank four through six among Weeden, Cousins, Foles, Osweiler, whatever. 
JON GRUDEN:  That’ll cost you $500.  I can’t reveal my draft board before the draft. I’m just kidding you.  I’ll tell you, that’s a great question.  For all the people that rank quarterbacks and rank running backs and rank wide receivers, I think it’s great.  But it depends on what system you’re going to run.  It depends on what supporting cast you have.  It depends on a lot of different factors, and where you play sometimes, as well.
But I love Brandon Weeden.  I think if you want a quarterback that’s tough as hell, that’s a winner, remember, Weeden already beat Nick Foles in a Bowl game two years ago, he beat Robert Griffin 59 to 24, he beat Andrew Luck in the Fiesta Bowl, he beat Landry Jones, he beat Tannehill.  I like Weeden as you can tell.  I would find something for him to do.
I like Kirk Cousins at Michigan State.  I would look forward to working with him.  I like all of these players, but I like Weeden.  I think in the next tier, I really like Kirk Cousins, and there’s something about Russell Wilson at Wisconsin that I think has already been proven.  He’s special, he’s talented, and he’s going to make it.
Q. I wanted to get your take on Tannehill overall, and with his limited starting experience, Bradford and Sanchez kind of had the same thing, how much of a concern is that to you as someone who’s analyzing quarterback talent and with the people you talk to in the NFL? 
JON GRUDEN:  Well, it’s a concern.  It’s a concern.  Now, what’s not concerning is what kind of athlete he is.  Let’s not forget, he didn’t just play wide receiver at Texas A & M, he started at wide receiver.  He had over 200 yards receiving in one game against Kansas State.  He’s an outstanding athlete, and he’s also been tutored by an NFL coach in Mike Sherman.  So when you do watch Tannehill, every time you watch him you’re seeing an outstanding young man who’s been tutored by an excellent offensive coach in an outstanding system.  That I like.  So the arrow is going up on Tannehill.
There are some issues you wish you could see.  You’d like to see more tape.  You’d like to see Tannehill and the A&M offense finish games in the second half when they have a lead.  Some of the losses they had this year, I’m not blaming Tannehill, I’m not blaming anybody, but they lost the lead a lot this year in games, and it cost them, because I thought Texas A&M was going to be a top 10 team this year.
Q. Back to Russell Wilson for a second, as a coach how can you help him compensate for the lack of height? 
JON GRUDEN:  I don’t think you do.  I think you just embrace the fact that you’ve got Russell Wilson.  He plays behind the biggest offensive line in college football.  I mean, the center, Konz, is going to be a second‑round draft choice, he might even be a first‑round draft choice.  He’s 6’5½” and he’s the biggest center in college football.  Zeitler, the right guard, No. 70, he’s got to be 6’5½”.  All of these Wisconsin Badgers are every bit, size‑wise, as big as any line in pro football, and it’s not a problem there.  So you might have to change the launching spot a little bit more.
You could make a lot of lists to say why a 5’10″ quarterback or a 5’11″ quarterback or a six‑footer can’t play in pro football today.  But I watched him do it at NC State.  I watched him do it at Wisconsin.  And I’ve talked to a lot of coaches who have had to defend him, and they’re glad he’s going to the NFL, I promise you that.
Q. The role of the safety has changed a lot in today’s game.  You need safeties that can cover tight ends and slot wide receivers.  How might that influence teams in this draft to take bigger corners with say Dre Kilpatrick, Stephon Gilmore, those kind of people, and maybe move them inside?
JON GRUDEN:  Well, you’d better take as many skill cover guys as you can find, whether they’re safeties, big corners, small corners.  You’d better get people that can cover and tackle in one‑on‑one situations.  I think that goes hand in hand.  Everybody talks about covering, and a lot of these teams don’t even play man‑to‑man.  They’re playing all different kind of combination zone coverages.  You have to be able to tackle in one‑on‑one situations with all these no‑back formations, spread formations.  And finally, you’d better get some smart guys that love football because more and more teams are going to the no‑huddle offense and you rely on communication and intelligence to execute.
But obviously you do want safeties that have great versatility.  Earl Thomas, Eric Berry have come into the league as rookies, done a great job.  I know there’s a lot of teams that covet a couple safeties in this draft.
Q. One of the challenges that Andrew Luck could be facing when he makes this transition to the NFL is he’s going to be replacing a legend in Peyton Manning.  I’m wondering based on what you learned about his makeup, how is Luck going to handle those pressures and those expectations? 
JON GRUDEN:  I don’t think anybody would be able to handle it better.  I know I couldn’t handle it.  How would you like to replace Peyton Manning?  I think Andrew said it perfectly.  He’s not going to replace him.  Peyton Manning’s legacy is going to last forever in Indianapolis, and it should.  It’s up to Andrew Luck to win football games, to develop into the kind of football player that the Colts or whoever drafts him are expecting him to do.
But he is as humble as any kid you’ll ever meet.  He’s as hard‑working and diligent as any young guy I’ve met, and I think he’s the perfect guy to do it because he’s not going to try to replace Peyton.  He’s going to try to form his own niche, and I’m confident he can, too.
Q. Back on Kirk Cousins, I was wondering if he reminded you of anyone in the NFL now, and what kind of challenges do you think he faces? 
JON GRUDEN:  I don’t know who he reminds me of.  He reminds me of ‑‑ that’s a tough question off the top of my head.  He just reminds me of guys that play on Sunday for a living.  That’s the kind of kid he is.  That’s the serious background that he’s had.  That’s the future that he wants.  He’s a self‑starter.  He’s one of those kids that just won’t take no for an answer.  He’s going to be successful.
He wasn’t a highly touted recruit coming out of high school.  He flourished at Michigan State.  He’s gotten stronger, he’s gotten faster, he’s become much more masterful at the quarterback position.  I think if he gets with the right group of guys, he can really take off and enjoy great success.
Q. I wanted to ask you about Ryan Lindley at San Diego State.  I don’t believe he’s on the roster for this year’s series, and also the Chargers might be looking for a quarterback.  It’ll probably be late round, maybe an undrafted guy, somebody they could develop, a potential practice squad guy.  Who in that type of tier sticks out to you, somebody you’d like to get your hands on for a couple years before he sees the field, would be available late, possibly after the draft, who you think could really develop into a solid quarterback?
JON GRUDEN:  Yeah, you know, speaking of Lindley, you see him in the Senior Bowl, you don’t see a lot of San Diego Aztec quarterbacks in the Senior Bowl since (Dan) McGwire, but Lindley has 49 starts, he’s the all‑time leading passer at State.  They know how to throw the football there.  He’s an interesting quarterback.  I know a lot of people that have brought him to our attention.  We just couldn’t do 11 shows, we could only do 10, but I would have loved to have met Ryan Lindley.
Guys that are interesting to me, I think Case Keenum’s name needs to come out somewhere.  He’s the all‑time leading passer in NCAA history, reminds me of a young Jeff Garcia, finds a way to get it done.  He’s a lot more athletic than people think.  No‑huddle, throw it every snap, makes a lot of game‑day decisions, has helped put the Houston Cougars at the forefront of college football.  They beat Penn State in the Bowl game.  Who would have thought that?  The stadium is packed.  He’s done a lot of great things.  I think he’s going to be an interesting guy.
Another guy, B.J. Coleman, he interests me, at Tennessee‑Chattanooga from what I’ve seen.  Those are three names, Lindley, B.J. Coleman, Case Keenum maybe a little bit later, and Kellen Moore.  I think on that third day of the draft, you can’t deny production and sustained production like Kellen Moore has enjoyed.  I’d like to have a shot at making a few first downs with him.
Q. If you’re in Cleveland and you’re committed to supporting Colt McCoy, who better to do it with, Richardson or Blackmon at No. 4?
JON GRUDEN:  Can we get them both?  The easiest thing to do is to turn around and hand the ball to somebody 300 times a year.  Everybody says don’t take a running back, we can get those guys in the fifth and sixth and seventh round.  You go find Trent Richardson in the fifth or sixth or seventh round.  He’s a beast.  He broke all of Emmitt Smith’s high school rushing records there in Florida.  I’ve seen him run over people, run around people, he protects the ball, he can catch it, he can pick up blitzes.  He might be the strongest human being on the planet, and I think his weight lifting proves that.  He’s a team captain of a two‑time National Championship team.
No disrespect to Blackmon, but Adrian Peterson, Trent Richardson as prospects, they kind of remind me of each other, maybe AP had a little bit more homerun speed, but these are punishing, difference‑maker backs, and I think Richardson with Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly, in the history of great backs they’ve had in Cleveland, that would be pretty neat.
Q. I know you’ve talked a little bit about Kellen Moore thus far, but if you had to take one trait or attribute that will enable him to be successful at the NFL level, what would you pick? 
JON GRUDEN:  I think it’s the system that he gets in.  It’s all about the system you put Kellen Moore in.  If you watch Kellen Moore in the Senior Bowl or you listen to people evaluate Kellen Moore at practice in the Senior Bowl, they were critical of him to a degree.  But when they play at Boise State, people walk away from the game and they say, wow, they just had 53 points.  The more you give Kellen Moore, the better he is.  You’ve got to put him in a lot of different situations where he can use his greatest strengths, and that’s above the neck.  He can see coverages.  He can make audibles, he can get you in and out of plays, he can manage a no‑huddle offense, he can manage any grouping of formations that you want to give him, and he can do it all in week‑to‑week fashion.  This guy has a tremendous football background, son of a coach, wants to be a coach himself.
But I think system and I think just relying on his accuracy and anticipation, that’s going to be the keys to his success.
Q. Looking at quarterbacks who have won at a high volume in college and at a high level against tough competition, how much do teams factor that in?  We saw that with Cam Newton and Andy Dalton, they both won at high levels and had immediate success.  How do you see that with Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin and some other guys that have won a lot in this year’s class?
JON GRUDEN:  I think it’s huge.  There’s criteria, I think, that most general managers, most head coaches, most quarterback coaches have always looked for, and winning is number one; number two, you look at durability; number three, playing experience.  Those are very important things to study, and you want a quarterback that’s won, that’s been durable and productive.  Those are the things everybody is looking for.
I think the big question RG3 has to answer is why haven’t any of the Big 12 quarterbacks really hit the lottery lately in the NFL?  Blaine Gabbert, we’re waiting to see that; Vince Young hasn’t really sustained himself; Sam Bradford has got to prove it going into year four; Colt McCoy, there’s a lot of Big 12 quarterbacks I think that have to really step on the gas this year; and RG3, I’ve heard that time and time again when he was down here in Tampa.
Both these guys have carried their football teams.  Andrew Luck turned Stanford around.  Look at Stanford before Luck and post Luck; look at Baylor before Griffin and post Griffin.  What they have done with their body of work is a tremendous credit to these two young guys.
Q. Speaking of RG3 and Luck, what can you point to as something that you think separates Andrew from Robert or vice versa, and with Robert, speaking of the Big 12 quarterbacks, what will be the biggest transition he has to make going from that offense to an NFL one?
JON GRUDEN:  I don’t know why we have to pick one or the other.  It’s like strawberry or vanilla.  You like both kinds, you’ve just got to go solo, you’ve got to pick strawberry or vanilla.  These two kids sat on the podium at the Heisman Trophy balloting, and we all knew it was going to be Luck or Griffin.  That’s how close it was.  Everybody expected Luck, and if you didn’t expect Luck you expected Griffin or vice versa.  It’s the same way in this draft.  The Redskins and the Colts are just real lucky if you ask me because they’re looking for quarterbacks, and it just so happens in this draft there are two great proven commodities at that position.
And as far as RG3 goes, they have running shoe principles in their pass offense at Baylor.  They don’t get in the huddle very often.  If they do, I haven’t seen it.  So just getting in the huddle, getting used to the nomenclature, calling plays in a different setting is going to be an adjustment just like it was for Cam Newton, but it didn’t hurt him.  And obviously getting used to the speed of the game and learning a lot of new concepts, that will be more, I think, challenging for Griff than it is for Luck just because of the way they played in the last three or four years of their careers.
Q. Knowing what you know about Mike Holmgren and the system the Browns are using on offense, can you kind of break down the way you view their situation with Colt McCoy?  Do you think that they should use ‑‑ they have three picks in the top 37 in this year’s draft.  Do you think they should use those picks to surround him with pieces like they said they’d be willing to do, or should they go for a Tannehill or Weeden, both of whom should be available to them at some point? 
JON GRUDEN:  Well, I can’t speak for Coach Holmgren.  I certainly don’t know what direction they’re heading.  I know McCoy was injured and did not finish the season last year, and I saw the backup playing, Seneca Wallace, down the stretch, and I saw that they lost their back, their big back Hillis went to Kansas City.  I think they’re waiting on seeing where their young receiving corps is.  They could probably use some firepower around whoever the quarterback is.
But to answer your question, I like Colt McCoy.  He was down here a couple years ago.  I think he’s done some really good things in pro football.  Obviously he’s got to continue to get better, and I think a proven supporting cast would help any quarterback, let alone Colt McCoy.  If I was a guessing man, that would be the way I would guess Cleveland would go, add a couple dynamic skilled players to Colt McCoy and see what happens.
FastScripts by ASAP Sports
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Filed Under: ESPN, NFL

Lisa Salters Named ESPN’s Monday Night Football Sideline Reporter

April 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Lisa Salters, one of the lead reporters for ESPN on ABC’s NBA coverage, has been named the new sideline reporter for ESPN’s Monday Night Football. Salters will join play-by-play commentator Mike Tirico and analyst Jon Gruden on the weekly MNF game telecasts and provide live stadium reports during ESPN’s Monday afternoon studio shows throughout the NFL season.

One of ESPN’s most versatile and accomplished reporters, Salters has covered the NBA, college football and more since joining ESPN in 2000 from ABC News. She is a featured correspondent on the ESPN news magazine, E:60, a role which earned her both a Gracie Award from the Association for Women in Radio and Television for best feature in 2009, and a Sports Emmy nomination for the story “Ray of Hope” in 2008. She also traveled to Haiti for a powerful story on the U17 national women’s soccer team just months after the country was devastated by an earthquake in 2010.
 
Salters’ journalistic assignments have brought her to a number of major global sports events around the world, including the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan, the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, and the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. She also covered sports-related stories for ESPN in and around U.S. Central Command in Qatar during the build-up to Operation Iraqi Freedom, and she traveled with SportsCenter in 2004 to Camp Arifjan, a U.S. Army base in Kuwait.
Before arriving at ESPN, Salters was a Los Angeles-based correspondent for ABC News (1995-2000), where she covered the O.J. Simpson civil and criminal trials among other major stories for World News Tonight with Peter Jennings and ABC News outlets. Earlier in her career, she worked at WBAL-TV, the NBC affiliate in Baltimore, Md.
“Lisa’s experience covering the NBA and other major sports events, as well as her strength as an interviewer, make her ideally suited for the Monday Night Football sideline reporter role,” said John Wildhack, ESPN executive vice president, production.  “She will be a tremendous addition to our MNF team with Mike and Jon, and to our overall NFL presentation.”
 
“The opportunity to work with Mike, Jon and the entire Monday Night Football crew on ESPN’s signature property is both humbling and exciting,” said Salters. “I have always admired MNF reporters like Suzy Kolber and Michele Tafoya, and I am determined to continue the standard of excellence they have established in this role.”
 
Salters worked previously with both Tirico and Gruden, most recently on the 2012 Discover Orange Bowl college football telecast.
A year ago, ESPN used a rotation of sideline reporters on its MNF games.
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Filed Under: ESPN, NFL

Patriots WR Wes Welker, Cowboys LB DeMarcus Ware, Packers LB Clay Matthews & Broncos LB Von Miller on ‘NFL Total Access’ Tonight at 7:00 PM ET — NFL NETWORK & NFL.COM PROGRAMMING NOTES (4/11 – 4/17)

April 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Lions WR Nate Burleson Serves as Guest Analyst on NFL Total Access Thursday, April 12

Michigan State DT Jerel Worthy (Tonight) & Alabama CB Dre Kirkpatrick (Friday) In-Studio on Path to the Draft at 6:00 PM ET

San Antonio Talons Host New Orleans VooDoo on NFL Network’s “NET10 Arena Football Friday” April 13 at 8:00 PM ET

NFL Total Access In-Studio Guests this Week: Patriots WR Wes Welker, Cowboys LB DeMarcus Ware, Packers LB Clay Matthews, Broncos LB Von Miller & Detroit Lions WR Nate Burleson

Some of the NFL’s biggest stars visit NFL Network’s studios this week on NFL Total Access at 7:00 PM ET.

Tonight, New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker, Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware and Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews convene for a roundtable discussion on the New Orleans Saints bounty discipline. Additionally, Denver Broncos linebacker and the Defensive Rookie of the Year Von Miller joins hosts Andrew Siciliano and Kara Henderson, and analysts Jamie Dukes and Matt Millen live in-studio.

On Thursday, April 12, Welker discusses the Patriots’ 2011 season which ended in a loss in Super Bowl XLVI and the team heading into the offseason. Also, Detroit Lions wide receiver Nate Burleson joins the program as a guest analyst to provide the state of the team heading into the offseason.

On Friday, April 13, Matthews appears in-studio to discuss everything surrounding the Green Bay Packers and the NFC North.

 

 

Michigan State DT Jerel Worthy (Tonight) & Alabama CB Dre Kirkpatrick (Friday) In-Studio This Week on Path to the Draft

NFL Network’s ‘Path to Primetime’ 2012 NFL Draft coverage continues with the sixth season of Path to the Draft, which airs Monday through Friday at 6:00 PM ET up until the 2012 NFL Draft on April 26-28. With news reports, one-on-one interviews, player rankings and exclusive mock drafts, Path to the Draft is the go-to destination for the most in-depth NFL Draft coverage.

Tonight at 6:00 PM ET, Michigan State defensive tackle Jerel Worthy joins Charles Davis, Charley Casserly and Paul Burmeister live in-studio. Worthy – NFL Network’s Mike Mayock’s No. 2 ranked defensive tackle – discusses his career at Michigan State and preparing for the NFL Draft.

On Thursday, April 12, Path to the Draft will announce the list of players who will attend the 2012 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and interview Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon, North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples and USC defensive end Nick Perry.

Cornerback for the national champion University of Alabama Dre Kirkpatrick will be live in-studio on Friday, April 13 at 6:00 PM ET. Kirkpatrick is Mayock’s No. 3 ranked cornerback.

Below are quotes and video links from Monday and Tuesday’s editions of Path to the Draft:

- “He’s a yards-after-the-catch type of receiver. He’s an outside receiver who is going to win with his physicality, he’s going to be able to win being able to beat people up at the line of scrimmage. But I don’t see that explosion, that first step, that it’s going to require all of the time.” – Michael Lombardi on wide receiver Justin Blackmon (4/10/12)

- “We have two players from Baylor and Stanford, not perennial superpowers in the art of football. They’ve raised these programs. Both players have taken these programs to heights we’ve not seen going back to the Bill Walsh days there at Stanford and Grant Teaff days there at Baylor.” – Michael Lombardi on quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III (4/9/12)

- Analysts Mike Mayock, Charley Casserly, Michael Lombardi and Charles Davis compare Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon to last year’s wide receiver prospects A.J. Green and Julio Jones:

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-path-to-the-draft/09000d5d828370d5/Blackmon-vs-2011-WR-crop

- Which quarterback was better in the clutch: Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III? Analysts Michael Lombardi and Charles Davis discuss:

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-path-to-the-draft/09000d5d82830638/Better-in-the-clutch-Andrew-Luck-or-RG3

- Analyst Mike Mayock breaks down which wide receivers can give teams great value in the later rounds of the 2012 NFL Draft:

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-path-to-the-draft/09000d5d828375d7/Receiver-sleepers-in-2012-draft

Below is a schedule for this week’s Path to the Draft:

Wednesday, April 11

- Michigan State defensive tackle Jerel Worthy live in-studio

- Charles Davis, Charley Casserly, Mike Mayock and Michael Lombardi examine the running backs and linebackers in this year’s draft

- Path to the Draft puts the Cleveland Browns on the clock

- Illinois linebacker Whitney Mercilus profiled on “First Draft”

Thursday, April 12

- 2012 NFL Draft player attendees announced

- Interviews with Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon, North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples and USC defensive Nick Perry

- Baylor wide receiver Kendall Wright profiled on “First Draft”

Friday, April 13

- Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick live in-studio

- Charley Casserly, Michael Lombardi and Charles Davis discuss the offensive linemen prospects in the draft

- Path to the Draft puts the Pittsburgh Steelers on the clock

- Mississippi State defensive tackle Fletcher Cox profiled on “First Draft”

Actors Matthew Perry, Wilmer Valderama & Joe Manganiello on The Rich Eisen Podcast Thursday, April 12 at 2:00 PM ET — Available for Download on NFL.com & iTunes

The latest edition of The Rich Eisen Podcast airs on NFL Network Thursday, April 12 at 2:00 PM ET. It is also available for download on NFL.com and iTunes.

This week, Eisen presents an all-entertainment edition of the podcast as some of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars stop by the NFL Network studio.

Leading off is star of the long-running sitcom Friends, Matthew Perry. Perry appears in-studio to discuss his favorite team, the New England Patriots, as well as his new pilot on NBC, Go On, written by one of the writers of Friends, Scott Silveri.

Next up, Wilmer Valderama appears in-studio to talk about his current television show Awake on NBC, in which he plays Detective Efren Vega. The star from the long running sitcom That 70’s Show also discusses the possibility of putting in a good word to one of his co-stars from the television show to stop by for a visit.

Rounding up this edition is the star of HBO’s True Blood Joe Manganiello, who talks about the upcoming fifth season of the acclaimed show, as well as everything Pittsburgh Steelers. As a hardcore Steelers fan, Manganiello has met many of the players and coaches, and lends his thoughts on what is to come in 2012.

Finally, fans can sign up for “Step in Rich’s Shoes” to be a guest on the podcast and win the shoes he wore for his record-setting 40-yard dash at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine at RichEisen.NFL.com.

To download the latest edition of The Rich Eisen Podcast, as well as the other NFL.com podcasts, visit:

http://www.nfl.com/podcast

 

San Antonio Talons Host New Orleans VooDoo on “NET10 Arena Football” Friday, April 13 at 8:00 PM ET

The New Orleans VooDoo (2-2) make their second consecutive appearance of the season on NFL Network’s “NET10 Arena Football” when they travel to face the San Antonio Talons (2-2) Friday, April 13 at 8:00 PM ET. Fran Charles provides the play-by-play while Brian Baldinger serves as game analyst. Anthony Herron and Ari Wolfe report from the sidelines at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

Last week, the New Orleans VooDoo defeated the Tampa Bay Storm 66-47 in their first of four games on NFL Network this season. New Orleans quarterback Kurt Rocco threw five touchdowns as the VooDoo won their second consecutive game to even their record at 2-2. San Antonio quarterback Aaron Garcia will lead the Talons, who are looking to bounce back from a loss last weekend to the San Jose SaberCats.

 

 

DAY-BY-DAY PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE (all times listed are ET)

 

Wednesday, April 11

4:00 PM – Sound FX: Week 15, 2011

4:30 PM – Sound FX: Week 16, 2011

5:00 PM – Sound FX: Week 17, 2011

5:30 PM – Sound FX: 2011 New England Patriots

6:00 PM – Path to the Draft – Wednesday

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access

8:00 PM – Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL – 2010: Part 1

9:00 PM – Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL – 2010: Part 2

10:00 PM – Path to the Draft – Wednesday

11:00 PM – NFL Total Access

12 MIDNIGHT – Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL – 2010: Part 1

1:00 AM – Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL – 2010: Part 2

 

Thursday, April 12

11:00 AM – Path to the Draft – Wednesday

12 NOON – Draft Journey – 2009: Brian Cushing, Michael Crabtree & Matthew Stafford

1:00 PM – Draft Journey – 2010: Colt McCoy, Ndamukong Suh & Myron Rolle

2:00 PM – The Rich Eisen Podcast

2:30 PM – Super Bowl XXXVI: New England Patriots vs. St. Louis Rams

3:00 PM – America’s Game: 2001 New England Patriots

4:00 PM – Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL – 2010: Part 1

5:00 PM – Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL – 2010: Part 2

6:00 PM – Path to the Draft – Thursday

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access

8:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Team Turnarounds

9:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Biggest Upsets

10:00 PM – Path to the Draft – Thursday

11:00 PM – NFL Total Access

12 MIDNIGHT – NFL’s Top 10: Team Turnarounds

1:00 AM – NFL’s Top 10: Biggest Upsets

Friday, April 13

11:00 AM – Path to the Draft – Thursday

12 NOON – Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL – 2002

1:00 PM – Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL – 2003

2:00 PM – Super Bowl XXXVII: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Oakland Raiders

2:30 PM – Super Bowl XXXVIII: New England Patriots vs. Carolina Panthers

3:00 PM – America’s Game: 2003 New England Patriots

4:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Team Turnarounds

5:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Biggest Upsets

6:00 PM – Path to the Draft – Friday

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access

8:00 PM – Arena Football League: New Orleans VooDoo at San Antonio Talons – LIVE

11:00 PM – NFL Total Access

12 MIDNIGHT – The Rich Eisen Podcast

12:30 AM – Sound FX: Aaron Rodgers

1:00 AM – NFL’s Top 10: Football Myths

2:00 AM – Path to the Draft – Friday

Saturday, April 14

11:00 AM – The Rich Eisen Podcast

11:30 AM – Sound FX: Chad Ochocinco

12 NOON – Path to the Draft – Monday

1:00 PM – Path to the Draft – Tuesday

2:00 PM – Path to the Draft – Wednesday

3:00 PM – Path to the Draft – Thursday

4:00 PM – Path to the Draft – Friday

5:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Gunslingers

6:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Tight Ends

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access – Week in Review

8:00 PM – Fans’ Choice: 2011 Playoff Replays

9:00 PM – Fans’ Choice: 2011 Playoff Replays

10:00 PM – Fans’ Choice: 2011 Playoff Replays

11:00 PM – NFL Total Access – Week in Review

12 MIDNIGHT – Fans’ Choice: 2011 Playoff Replays

1:00 AM – Fans’ Choice: 2011 Playoff Replays

2:00 AM – Fans’ Choice: 2011 Playoff Replays

Sunday, April 15

7:00 AM – Sound FX: Aaron Rodgers

7:30 AM – The Rich Eisen Podcast

8:00 AM – Fans’ Choice: 2011 Playoff Replays

9:00 AM – Fans’ Choice: 2011 Playoff Replays

10:00 AM – Fans’ Choice: 2011 Playoff Replays

11:00 AM – NFL’s Top 10: Team Turnarounds

12 NOON – NFL’s Top 10: Biggest Upsets

1:00 PM – NFL Replay: San Diego Chargers at New York Jets – Week 7, 2011

2:30 PM – Sound FX: Week 7, 2011

3:00 PM – Bill Belichick: A Football Life – Part 2

4:00 PM – Sound FX: Week 17, 2011

4:30 PM – Sound FX: 2011 New England Patriots

5:00 PM – Sound FX: Aaron Rodgers

5:30 PM – Sound FX: Chad Ochocinco

6:00 PM – Walter Payton: A Football Life

7:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Draft Steals

8:00 PM – NFL’s Greatest Games: Oakland Raiders at New England Patriots – 2001 AFC Divisional Round

9:30 PM – Super Bowl XXXVIII: New England Patriots vs. Carolina Panthers

10:00 PM – America’s Game: 2001 New England Patriots

11:00 PM – 2001 New England Patriots

11:30 PM – Sound FX: 2011 New England Patriots

12 MIDNIGHT – NFL’s Top 10: Single-Season Performances

1:00 AM – NFL’s Top 10: Quarterback Duels

2:00 AM – NFL’s Top 10: Clutch Quarterbacks

3:00 AM – NFL’s Top 10: Draft Steals

Monday, April 16

6:00 AM – America’s Game: 2001 New England Patriots

7:00 AM – 2001 New England Patriots

7:30 AM – Sound FX: 2011 New England Patriots

8:00 AM – NFL’s Top 10: Single-Season Performances

9:00 AM – NFL’s Top 10: Quarterback Duels

10:00 AM – NFL’s Top 10: Clutch Quarterbacks

11:00 AM – NFL’s Top 10: Draft Steals

12 NOON – NFL’s Greatest Games: Oakland Raiders at New England Patriots – 2001 AFC Divisional Round

1:30 PM – Super Bowl XXXVIII: New England Patriots vs. Carolina Panthers

2:00 PM – America’s Game: 2001 New England Patriots

3:00 PM – 2001 New England Patriots

3:30 PM – Sound FX: 2011 New England Patriots

4:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Quarterback Duels

5:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Clutch Quarterbacks

6:00 PM – Path to the Draft – Monday

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access

8:00 PM – Brady 6

9:00 PM – Sound FX: Adrian Peterson

9:30 PM – Sound FX: Tony Romo

10:00 PM – Path to the Draft – Monday

11:00 PM – NFL Total Access

12 MIDNIGHT – Brady 6

1:00 AM – Sound FX: Adrian Peterson

1:30 AM – Sound FX: Tony Romo

 

Tuesday, April 17

11:00 AM – Path to the Draft – Monday

12 NOON – Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL – 2004

1:00 PM – Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL – 2005

2:00 PM – Super Bowl XXXIX: New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles

2:30 PM – Super Bowl XL: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Seattle Seahawks

3:00 PM – America’s Game: 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers

4:00 PM – NFL Films Presents: Oh, Brother

4:30 PM – NFL Films Presents: Guiding Lights

5:00 PM – Sound FX: Adrian Peterson

5:30 PM – Sound FX: Tony Romo

6:00 PM – Path to the Draft – Tuesday

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access

8:00 PM – Sound FX: 2011 Wild Card Weekend

8:30 PM – Sound FX: 2011 Divisional Round

9:00 PM – Sound FX: 2011 Championship Games

9:30 PM – Sound FX: Super Bowl XLVI – New England Patriots vs. New York Giants

10:00 PM – Path to the Draft – Tuesday

11:00 PM – NFL Total Access

12 MIDNIGHT – Sound FX: 2011 Wild Card Weekend

12:30 AM – Sound FX: 2011 Divisional Round

1:00 AM – Sound FX: 2011 Championship Games

1:30 AM – Sound FX: Super Bowl XLVI – New England Patriots vs. New York Giants

Filed Under: NFL, NFLN

NFL Network & NFL.com Ink New Reporting Talent

April 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Kimberly Jones from YES Network, Aditi Kinkhabwala from Wall Street Journal, Ian Rapoport from Boston Herald & Gregg Rosenthal from Pro Football Talk Join NFL Media Team

Veteran NFL journalists Kimberly Jones, Aditi Kinkhabwala, Ian Rapoport and Gregg Rosenthal have joined the NFL Media team adding to its deep roster of reporters, it was announced today.

Jones joins NFL Network as its New York-based correspondent after seven years with the YES Network. At YES, she was the Yankees clubhouse reporter, featured on pregame, postgame and “Batting Practice Today” shows. She was also a panelist on YES’ “This Week in Football” and contributed to YesNetwork.com.  Jones also served as a host on WFAN-Radio in New York. Previously, Jones was a beat writer and an NFL columnist for the Newark Star-Ledger.

Kinkhabwala will relocate to Pittsburgh for her NFL Network role after spending the past two years on the New York Giants and the NFL beats for the Wall Street Journal. Previously, she covered Rutgers University sports at the Bergen (N.J.) Record for six years and wrote a weekly column for SI.com. Kinkhabwala began her writing career covering high school football for the San Antonio Express-News.

Rapoport, who comes to NFL Network after covering the Patriots for three seasons at the Boston Herald, has relocated to Dallas for his new position. Prior to his time in Boston, Rapoport spent three seasons as the Alabama Crimson Tide beat writer for the Birmingham News and two seasons covering Mississippi State for the Jackson Clarion-Ledger.

Jones, Kinkhabwala and Rapoport will appear across multiple NFL Network programs including NFL Total Access and NFL GameDay Morning. All will also contribute to NFL.com and other NFL digital media properties.

Rosenthal joins NFL.com as a senior editor after eight years covering the NFL for RotoWorld.com, Pro Football Talk.com, and NBC Sports.com.  Rosenthal, who also appeared on NBC Sports Network last fall, will be featured on NFL.com’s Around the League.

NFL Network airs seven days a week, 24 hours a day on a year-round basis and is the only television network fully dedicated to the NFL and the sport of football.  For more information, log on to www.nfl.com/nflnetwork.  NFL.com is the exclusive internet home of NFL Network.

– NFL MEDIA –

Filed Under: NFL, NFLN

Unmatched Talent Roster of Analysts, Reporters & College Coaches Converge for NFL Network & NFL.com’s 2012 NFL Draft Coverage

April 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

48 Hours of Live “Draft Week” Coverage from New York City Kicks Off Monday, April 23

NFL Network Draft Analyst Mike Mayock Debuts his First – and Only – Mock Draft Wednesday, April 25 at 8:00 PM ET — Features Interviews with Top Prospects Andrew Luck & Robert Griffin III

LSU’s Les Miles & Stanford’s David Shaw Join On-Air Broadcast Team from Radio City Thursday – Saturday

NFL.com Follows Top Prospects Matt Kalil & Justin Blackmon Throughout Their Draft Journey

For the seventh consecutive year – and third in primetime – NFL Network and NFL.com descend upon Radio City Music Hall in New York City for wall-to-wall coverage of the 77th annual NFL Draft Thursday, April 26 – Saturday, April 28. With an extensive roster of analysts, reporters and college head coaches, NFL Network and NFL.com’s live coverage kicks off with the first round Thursday at 8:00 PM ET, followed by Rounds 2-3 Friday at 7:00 PM ET and Rounds 4-7 Saturday at 12 Noon ET.

Live draft day coverage on Thursday and Friday begins at 11:00 AM ET with two-hour editions of Path to the Draft, followed by the 2012 NFL Draft Kickoff pre-draft show. Saturday’s live coverage kicks off at 10:00 AM ET.

NFL Network draft expert Mike Mayock headlines the on-air talent roster which will provide 48 hours of live “Draft Week” coverage beginning Monday, April 23. Tabbed the “most authoritative draft analyst on television” by Sports Illustrated, Mayock introduces the NFL’s next generation of talent to a new audience with a keen eye and proven track record. Additionally, NFL Network’s stable of former players such as Michael Irvin, Marshall Faulk, and Kurt Warner, former front office executives Michael Lombardi and Charley Casserly, and former NFL head coaches Steve Mariucci and Brian Billick have the draft covered from every angle with expert analysis gained from several years of NFL experience.

Joining NFL Network’s on-air talent roster throughout the three-day showcase are LSU head coach Les Miles and Stanford head coach David Shaw. Miles and Shaw provide analysis of each of their former players during NFL Network’s pre-draft coverage on Thursday and Friday, and join the main set at Radio City Music Hall on Saturday to provide scouting reports on the players selected. If the Indianapolis Colts select Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the top choice, Shaw would be the first college head coach to work the draft on television as his player is picked first overall.

Below is an overview of NFL Network and NFL.com’s all-encompassing coverage of the 2012 NFL Draft.

THE COVERAGE

NFL Network

  • Mike Mayock Unveils Only Mock Draft of the Year in Primetime: NFL Network’s top draft expert Mike Mayock debuts his first – and only – mock draft of the year in a one-hour special, Mayock’s 2012 Mock Draft Presented by Fiat on Wednesday, April 25 at 8:00 PM ET on NFL Network. On the eve of the 2012 NFL Draft from inside Radio City Music Hall in New York City, Mayock, alongside analyst Charles Davis, predicts how the first round of the draft will unfold and provides full analysis of each selection. Features interviews with top prospects Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III.
  • Forty-Eight Hours of Live “Draft Week Coverage”: NFL Network provides 48 hours of live “Draft Week” coverage Monday, April 23 – Sunday, April 29. First-round coverage of the 2012 NFL Draft Presented by Verizon kicks off Thursday, April 26 at 8:00 PM ET. Rounds 2 and 3 begin Friday, April 27 at 7:00 PM ET, followed by Rounds 4-7 Saturday, April 28 at 12 Noon ET.
  • Unmatched Talent Roster: With experts who are authorities on their positions and in their fields, NFL Network’s talent roster for the 2012 NFL Draft provides the respected and in-depth analysis fans crave. Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin breaks down the wide receivers, Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk examines how each running back will translate to the NFL level, and former NFL and Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner lends his insight on the quarterbacks.
  • Draft War Rooms Take Viewers Behind-the-Scenes: NFL Network offers behind-the-scenes video access into the Draft War Rooms of several NFL teams as team executives make their selections. Featured this season are the Indianapolis Colts, marking the third consecutive year NFL Network has been inside the draft room of the team with the first overall pick. Additional teams include the St. Louis Rams (6), Seattle Seahawks (12), Dallas Cowboys (14), Denver Broncos (25), Green Bay Packers (28) and San Francisco 49ers (30).

 

  • NFL Network Hits the Field and the Film Room with Top Prospects: Before their names are called on draft day, NFL Network hits the field and goes inside the film room with some of the top prospects in this year’s draft. Former head coach Steve Mariucci travels to Texas A&M to meet with quarterback Ryan Tannehill, Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin meets with Justin Blackmon at Oklahoma State and Hall of Fame safety Rod Woodson sits down with Alabama’s Mark Barron.

 

NFL.com

  • Follow the 2012 NFL Draft Online with NFL.com  LIVE Presented by Courtyard by Marriott: On Thursday, April 26 at 7:30 PM ET and Friday, April 27 at 6:30 PM ET, NFL.com LIVE Presented by Courtyard by Marriott provides comprehensive coverage of the 2012 NFL Draft. Host Matt “Money” Smith and analyst Bucky Brooks analyze each team’s selections, while Michael Fabiano, Jason Smith and Adam Rank offer the fantasy implications of each pick from NFL Network’s Los Angeles studios. On Saturday, NFL.com LIVE will stream NFL Network’s coverage of Rounds 4-7 beginning at 12 Noon ET.

 

  • Fan War Rooms Return: The popular Fan War Rooms Presented by Verizon are back for the fourth year, offering an innovative way for fans to follow the draft, allowing them the opportunity to discuss a team’s strategy and immediately react once a player is selected.
  • NFL.com’s Mock Draft: On Wednesday, April 25, NFL.com hosts its annual Mock Draft, hosted by “Commissioner” Mike Mayock. NFL Network’s Rich Eisen, Marshall Faulk, Michael Irvin, Steve Mariucci, Charles Davis, Brian Billick, Michael Lombardi and Melissa Stark are put on the spot as each makes their best selections for all 32 teams, with Mayock offering critiques and analysis throughout.
  • Keep up with Matt Kalil & Justin Blackmon with ‘The Right Stuff Presented by New Era’: Follow two of the top prospects in this year’s draft – USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil and Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon – throughout their pre-draft journey on NFL.com’s blog, The Right Stuff Presented by New Era. NFL.com is with each prospect throughout their entire pre-draft journey, providing a behind-the-scenes look at one of the biggest moments in their life.

 

  • Interact with Fans, Analysts & Players Throughout the Draft: NFL.com’s Draft Chat Presented by Lexus offers fans a unique forum to interact with fellow fans, NFL Network analysts and players, as well as voice their opinions regarding each selection. NFL.com’s Elliot Harrison is on the scene at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, talking all-things draft with fans via Twitter and other social media forums.

 

THE TALENT

From Radio City Music Hall, New York City:

  • Brian Billick
  • Charles Davis
  • Rich Eisen
  • Marshall Faulk
  • Jay Glazer
  • Michael Irvin
  • Jason La Canfora
  • Michael Lombardi
  • Steve Mariucci
  • Mike Mayock
  • LSU head coach Les Miles (guest analyst)
  • Deion Sanders
  • Stanford head coach David Shaw (guest analyst)
  • Melissa Stark

From NFL Network/NFL.com Studios, Los Angeles:

  • Brian Baldinger
  • Bucky Brooks
  • Paul Burmeister
  • Charley Casserly
  • Fran Charles
  • Jamie Dukes
  • Michael Fabiano
  • Heath Evans
  • Scott Hanson
  • Kara Henderson
  • UCLA head coach Jim Mora (guest analyst)
  • Adam Rank
  • Andrew Siciliano
  • Jason Smith
  • Matt “Money” Smith
  • Tom Waddle
  • Kurt Warner

Reporting from NFL Team Locations:

  • Albert Breer (Indianapolis Colts)
  • Jeff Darlington (Miami Dolphins)
  • Kim Jones (New York Jets)
  • Ian Rapoport (Dallas Cowboys)
  • Steve Wyche (Washington Redskins)
  • Ari Wolfe (Minnesota Vikings)
  • Solomon Wilcots (Cleveland Browns)
  • Brian Baldinger (Philadelphia Eagles)
  • Michelle Beisner (Denver Broncos team party)
  • Stacey Dales (New England Patriots team party)

NFL NETWORK’S 2012 NFL DRAFT PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE

Monday, April 23

4:00 PM          Around the League Live

6:00 PM          Path to the Draft Presented by GMC Sierra

7:00 PM          NFL Total Access

8:00 PM          NFL’s Top 10 – Heisman Winners in the NFL – Debut

9:00 PM          Draft Journey 2012 – Debut

10:00 PM        Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL 2011 – Part 1 – Debut

 

Tuesday, April 24

12 Noon          Draft Journey 2012

1:00 PM          NFL’s Top 10 – Football Factories

2:00 PM          NFL’s Top 10 – Draft Steals

3:00 PM          NFL’s Top 10 – Heisman Winners in the NFL

4:00 PM          Around the League Live

6:00 PM          Path to the Draft Presented by GMC Sierra

7:00 PM          NFL Total Access

8:00 PM          2011: Year of the Rookie – Debut

9:00 PM          Dilemma of the #1 Pick – Debut

10:00 PM        Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL 2011 – Part 2 – Debut

 

Wednesday, April 25

12 Noon          Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL 2011 – Part 1

1:00 PM          Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL 2011 – Part 2

2:00 PM          2011: Year of the Rookie

3:00 PM          Dilemma of the #1 Pick

4:00 PM          Around the League Live

6:00 PM          Path to the Draft Presented by GMC Sierra

7:00 PM          NFL Total Access

8:00 PM          Mayock’s 2012 Mock Draft – Debut

9:00 PM          No Huddle

10:00 PM        The Top 100: Players of 2012 Preview Show

10:30 PM        The Rich Eisen Podcast

 

Thursday, April 26

9:00 AM          Mayock’s 2012 Mock Draft

10:00 AM        Dilemma of the #1 Pick

11:00 AM        Path to the Draft Presented by GMC Sierra – Live

1:00 PM          2012 NFL Draft Kickoff, Day 1 – Live

8:00 PM          2012 NFL Draft, Round 1 – Live

11:30 PM        NFL Total Access Post-Draft – Live

Friday, April 27

11:00 AM        Path to the Draft Presented by GMC Sierra – Live

1:00 PM          2012 NFL Draft Kickoff, Day 2 – Live

7:00 PM          2012 NFL Draft, Rounds 2-3 – Live

11:30 PM        NFL Total Access Post-Draft – Live

Saturday, April 28

9:00 AM          The Top 100: Players of 2012 Preview Show

9:30 AM          Madden NFL ‘13

10:00 AM        2012 NFL Draft Kickoff, Day 3 – Live

12 Noon          2012 NFL Draft, Rounds 4-7 – Live

7:30 PM          NFL Total Access Post-Draft – Live

8:00 PM          The Top 100: Players of 2012 (#100-91) – Series Premiere

9:00 PM          The Top 100: Players of 2012 – Reactions – Live

10:00 PM        NFL Total Access: 2012 Draft Recap – Live

Sunday, April 29

9:00 AM          The Top 100: Players of 2012 (#100-91)

10:00 AM        NFL’s Top 10 – Draft Steals

11:00 AM        NFL’s Top 10 – Draft Classes

12 Noon          NFL’s Top 10 – Draft Trades

1:00 PM          NFL’s Top 10 – Draft Busts

2:00 PM          NFL’s Top 10 – Undrafted Players

3:00 PM          NFL’s Top 10 – Heisman Winners in the NFL

4:00 PM          2011: Year of the Rookie

5:00 PM          The Top 100: Players of 2012 (#100-91)

6:00 PM          Path to the Draft – Draft Recap

7:00 PM          NFL Total Access: 2012 Draft Recap

NFL MEDIA. FOOTBALL 24/7.

Filed Under: NFL, NFLN

NFL on FOX Preseason Action Kicks Off Aug. 16 in Prime Time

April 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Coverage Highlighted by Six Playoff Teams Competing in Three Matchups

New York – The 2012 NFL on FOX season kicks off with three exciting preseason games featuring six playoff teams, including the 2011 NFC West Champion San Francisco 49ers taking on Peyton Manning’s new team – the Denver Broncos.

Action gets underway with back-to-back prime time coverage starting Thursday, August 16 (8:00 PM ET).  Andy Dalton and A.J. Green look to build on their rookie success as the Cincinnati Bengals head to the Georgia Dome to take on Matt Ryan, Michael Turner and the Atlanta Falcons.  That game is followed up the next night with the reigning AFC North Champion Baltimore Ravens hosting Matthew Stafford and Ndamukong Suh’s Detroit Lions on Friday, August 17 (8:00 PM ET).  FOX Sports’ preseason coverage wraps up on Sunday, August 26 (4:00 PM ET) with the new-look Denver Broncos hosting Alex Smith and the 49ers.

Following its coverage of the NFL’s prestigious NFC regular season schedule, FOX Sports presents exclusive live postseason coverage including an NFC Wild Card Game, the NFC Divisional Playoffs and the NFC Championship Game.

 

FOX SPORTS 2012 NFL PRESEASON BROADCAST SCHEDULE

Thursday, August 16           Cincinnati Bengals at Atlanta Falcons                            8:00 PM ET

Friday, August 17                Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens                                    8:00 PM ET

Sunday, August 26             San Francisco 49ers at Denver Broncos                        4:00 PM ET

Filed Under: FOX, NFL

2012 Monday Night Football Preseason Schedule

April 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment
ESPN will televise four NFL games as part of its 2012 Monday Night Football preseason schedule. Play-by-play commentator Mike Tirico and analyst Jon Gruden will call every game in anticipation of ESPN’s MNF regular-season opener on Monday, Sept. 10. All MNF preseason games will begin at 8 p.m. ET.
The season kicks off Thursday, August 9, when Aaron Rodgers and the NFC North champion Green Bay Packers travel to San Diego to face Philip Rivers and the Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium.
The ESPN crew then heads up the California coast four days later to the Bay Area when Carson Palmer and the Oakland Raiders host Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys on Monday, Aug. 13. The game will be a homecoming for Gruden, who served as head coach of the Raiders from 1998-2001.
On Monday, Aug. 20, Tom Brady and the AFC champion New England Patriots host Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.
ESPN will conclude its preseason schedule when Larry Fitzgerald and the Arizona Cardinals face Chris Johnson and the Tennessee Titans at LP Field in Nashville on Thursday, August 23.
ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s 24-hour Spanish-language domestic sports network, will once again offer a Spanish-language production of MNF preseason and regular season games in 2012.
The 2012 ESPN MNF regular season schedule is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
 
 
ESPN’s Monday Night Football 2012 NFL Preseason Schedule:
Date Time (ET) Game
Thursday, Aug. 9 8 p.m. Green Bay Packers at San Diego Chargers
Monday, Aug. 13 8 p.m. Dallas Cowboys at Oakland Raiders
Monday, Aug. 20 8 p.m. Philadelphia Eagles at New England Patriots
Thursday, Aug. 23 8 p.m. Arizona Cardinals at Tennessee Titans
 
-30-
Filed Under: ESPN, NFL

“Sunday Night Football” Preseason Schedule Includes Colts At Steelers And Panthers At Jets

April 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

NEW YORK – April 4, 2012 – The NFL today announced the national television schedule for the 2012 preseason, which includes two Sunday Night Football games on NBC. The SNF preseason kicks off on Sunday, August 19 when Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Indianapolis Colts, who own the first pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.

The other Sunday Night Football preseason tilt announced today has Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow and the New York Jets hosting Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, August 26. Coverage for both games begins at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. Al Michaels (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst) and Michele Tafoya – all nominated for 2012 Sports Emmy Awards – will call the games.

Sunday Night Football, which has won three consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Live Sports Series, ranks as the most-watched (persons 2+) and highest-rated primetime show, and the No. 1 program across the key demographics of Adults 18-49, 18-34, 25-54 as well as Men 18-49, 18-34 and 25-54, based on Nielsen live + same day data. Additionally, SNF is the No. 3 show among Women 18-34 and the No. 4 show among Women 18-49.

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–

Filed Under: NBC, NFL
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