Gary Horton: (11:07 AM ET ) After a weekend full of basketball and a start to the baseball season it's nice to get back and talk a little football, even though not a lot is going on. I was able to attend the USC pro day on Sunday and it was maybe the most well-organized pro day I've ever seen, with some interesting results. We'll talk about the Trojans a little today!
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Charles (Atlanta,GA): With the situation going on between the Titans and McNair is it safe to say that they will definately take Lienhart with the third pick?
Gary Horton: (11:11 AM ET ) I don't think it's safe to say at all. I think Leinart is heavily involved in the second pick. Right now it sems all the action is at No. 2 and there's no question he's the favorite there, the question is who will pick him? Three things: First, the Jets trade with the Saints and make Leinart the face of the organization, and the Saints would still get the guy they want. Second, the Titans could be so concerned about the Jets trading up that they do it themselves. Keep in mind the Norm Chow relationship. Third, and right now the craziest, is the Saints staying at No. 2 and drafting Leinart and leaving Brees in a one-year situation because of his cap number. Leinart has become the safe, comfortable pick among the top three right now.
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Ryan (Columbus, Ohio): Hey Gary, big Browns fan here. How do you think they did in the offseason and what type of impact do you see Willie and Ted having on defense?
Gary Horton: (11:13 AM ET ) I think they've had one of the three or four best offseasons, and really targeted their needs and got perfect fits. Crennel wants this team to run a great 3-4 defense and now he has his impact nose tackle in Washington and his combination edge pass rusher in McGinest. Both know this defense and will provide great leadership even if it's for a short time. Two of the shrewdest moves in the offseason. It's clear the Browns have a very organized and clear-cut game plan and are following it perfectly.
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Mike(Boston): With the Pats short on WR where do you think they will address the problem in FA or draft or trade? Thanks!
Gary Horton: (11:15 AM ET ) I don't really know who's left in FA that would be a difference maker. I thought they might make a run at Moulds but he's headed to Houston. It certainly looks now like they'll have to turn to the draft or possibly pick up a veteran who is cut during camp. I think they are going to miss Givens more than people realize. But I also think the philosophy of this passing game is strength in numbers and they don't really develop stars by spreading the field with four and five WR. They seem to feel they can plug in anyone because the system is so good. I am surprised, thought, that they weren't more active in FA at that position.
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Mike (Chicago): Everything seems to indicate that the Lions want Michael Huff at 9. What is Millen's backup plan if he isn't available? Any chances of trading up or down?
Gary Horton: (11:18 AM ET ) Huff would be a great choice for them but I think anything you hear now is a smokescreen. I find it interesting when teams leak this stuff so early because it's important to remember the Lions haven't even started final draft meetings. They haven't set their board or lined up their players, so this is the time when we see a lot of speculation and I just don't take anything seriously until teams come out of meetings with a game plan. The Lions have a lot of directions they can go and Huff would fill a big need,
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Joey: Has LenDale White positioned himself out of the 1st round?
Gary Horton: (11:23 AM ET ) If he's not out of the first round he's teetering on the edge. There are all sorts of red flags now. Not only did he not work out on Sunday, he was 244 pounds and looked like a guy who hadn't been training seriously. My opinion is very few NFL people took the hamstring story seriously. Having said that, teams later in the first round may be happy he's screwing up the process because now he may slip to them. I think he feels he can get through without running a 40 and show all the measurables, assuming teams will simply look at film. I have never seen a player get through this process without a 40 time, etc. White has a lot of work to do in the next three weeks in terms of somehow getting physically ready to work out. And one more problem is that with so much time to concentreat on they physical teams that like him will now want to fly him in to spend time and try to figure out why he's done so poorly in this process and erase the red flags. Problem is, if he's trying to work out every day those trips will be a distraction. If I was a GM I would not draft him right now without finding out where his head is at. I think he's slipped to the bottom of the first round.
Gary Horton: (11:25 AM ET ) And let me add: the other thing that surprises me about White is that he has an excellent agent in Eugene Parker who has had great success in getting guys ready. That makes me even more concerned about White. He's getting good advice, that's for sure.
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Phil (Cincy): Does the Bengals signing of Sam Adams shore up there defensive line or do you still see them needing to sign or draft another run stopper?
Gary Horton: (11:27 AM ET ) I think Sam is a good short-term run-stopper and certainly adds size inside. The guy they miss, though, is someone who also has enough quickness to be a disrupter as a pass rusher from the inside. But Adams is definitely a good short-term option on first and second downs against the run.
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Jake (VA Beach): Given the lack of interest & recent rumors that he may have to lower his asking price, do you see Arrington going to the Giants?
Gary Horton: (11:30 AM ET ) I have heard the Giants are at team that could be in the mix. but ironically he is a player that many veterans are campaigning for to come to their teams. I have heard some Giants players went to management and asked to get him on board. I'm surprised he's not already signed, and it may indeed be that he has an inflated opinion of his worth. I think he can still be an oustanding player but a lot of teams are still concerned because he's a tough guy to figure out. He was such a non-entity most of the time in Washington, but when he was on he really flashed. The huge question is how a player that good could be kept on the bench by the Redskins.
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Josh, Princess Anne, MD: Hey Gary, just wondering what rumblings you are hearing out of 49ers camp??? They looking to trade down, go offense or go defense???
Gary Horton: (11:33 AM ET ) To speculate what they'll do is a crap shoot because they have so many needs. They could look at WR, almost every position on defense. They can choose at nearly any position and not be wrong. I do think, though, they may be in position to move around and maybe move down to get extra picks, a former strength in the Walsh era. Don't know if they can do that with today's front office. But FA was not kind and they need a huge draft. That means as many picks as possible. This is a tough organization to predict right now because you don't see a great flow. Maybe that's the way they want it.
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ryan(baltimore): hey, what do you see my beloved ravens doing in the draft since they signed 2 rb's but got no O-line help
Gary Horton: (11:37 AM ET ) There is no question you're right about needing line help on offense. This is a group that is probably going to have to be nearly totally retooled in an offense that likes to run the ball and not ask the QB to win the game. That's a tough task. They could go OL early in the draft but could alsp look at the D line a bit, too.
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Grant (Cooperstown, ND): Gary, How would you rate Nick Saban second off-season in trades and free agency? What do you think they will do with the 16th pick? Thanks, Grant
Gary Horton: (11:41 AM ET ) Saban is very smart and shrewd and the Dolphins have been excellent in the offseason. Signing Culpepper makes them immediately competitive with New England if he's healthy. Everything else is in place. Saban has turned over the roster and stocked it with guys he's comfortable with. He has a knack for filling needs without overpaying, and I think in the draft he could well move around and trade down to get more picks. Too early to speculate who they'd take but I fully expect him to really work the draft much like Belichick. It wouldn't be his style to stay put. They will have a well-targeted list and go hard after those guys.
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Bo/ Washington, DC: How improved is the cowboys after the free agent signing and what position will they draft for...is 1st place in the NFC East likely ?
Gary Horton: (11:45 AM ET ) First of all, I'm a little confused a guy from DC is asking about the Cowboys. But getting past that I like what Dallas has done. I especially like TO and Vanderjagt, who actually may have a bigger impct than Owens. As we've talked about in the past, the Cowboys are going to play a lot of close games and now they have a kicker who could make a difference in three or four of those games and make the difference between the playoffs or not. I think Owens will add versatility to the passing game and I like this offense. The draft is always interesting because Parcells likes impact guys who can play immediately because he's not going to be around long while Jones has an eye on the future. They could look at CB or OT and I have a feeling the guy they get will probably be a good athlete on defense. Still too early to tell, though.
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DJ Chicago: Does anybody else in the NFL other than Houston want Reggie Bush? It just seems with all the hype, someone would want to trade up.
Gary Horton: (11:48 AM ET ) I think every team in the league would love Bush, and he put on an unbelievable show at pro day. What has happened is that he's so clearly the No. 1 guy the Texans are not getting serious offers because no one thinks they'll trade down anyway. But I think they would like to at least entertain some offers. But I've talked to a lot of teams that say it's a waste of time, though. There will be a lot of speculation and rumors the next three weeks trying to create drama with the first pick. At the end of the day I think he is a Texan on draft day.
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Shane (Indianapolis, Indiana): Finally some non-Final Four discussion!!! What's up with Matt Millen? How can he act like he has ANY bargaining leverage with potential trades for Harrington??? Where will he (Harrington) end up? Thanks!
Gary Horton: (11:53 AM ET ) I think the Harrington situation will be somewhat like Moulds. where Harrington and his agent will keep trying to drum up interest and then eventually settle in a place like Miami with a late-round pick as compensation. But you're right, they have no leverage. If they did he would already be re-signed. The big question now is what round the compensation is from and my guess is 4-5-6.
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Kevin (Ann Arbor): Does it really make sense for the Rams to pick Cutler? Bulger is fragile, but thats a byproduct of the Martz system. Wouldn't it be better to pick Ngata, Bunkley, or Jimmy Williams (assuming Huff and Davis are gone)?
Gary Horton: (11:55 AM ET ) The problem is new head coach Scott Linehan may want to start his regime with his own QB to develop. They do have serious defensive needs and I do know that Linehan likes veteran backup Gus Frerotte, who he got from Miami, and he could probably live with him in a pinch. He's an offensive guy and new guys like that love having someone to build around. If Cutler is there for them it wouldn't shock me to see them go in that direction and not with big defensive needs.
Gary Horton: (11:57 AM ET ) Things are getting interesting as scouts and coaches start draft meetings. Next week or the following week will really see things start to come together. The boards come together and there will be a lot of speculation and rumors coming out of those rooms. We'll try to track them and speculate right along with the teams. The next couple of weeks should be a lot of fun. Talk to you all next week!
