DG146 - Part 1

With the first pick in the 2013 NFL draft the Arizona Cardinals select Matt Barkley.

That was the forecast by my crystal ball a couple of days before the start of the 2012 NFL season. But as we know now, Barkley played himself out of the top spot in the draft (and out of the 1st round altogether) with a good but not great senior season as the QB at USC. And the Cardinals? They played themselves out of the top spot too, finishing the season with a better record than 5 other teams.

But that's OK, because it allowed them, with the 7th pick of the 1st round, to have the honor of selecting the first player with dreads in this year's draft. Just as desperate for help on the offensive line as they were at quarterback, the Cardinals picked former North Carolina G Jonathan Cooper. NFL teams usually show very little love for interior offensive linemen in the draft; but apparently Cooper, a 6-foot-2, 312-pounder, is so highly rated as a prospect that not only is he expected to start on opening day, there's already talk of him having Hall-of-Fame potential. Have fun living up to that kind of hype, Coop.

The 2013 draft didn't have as much dread star power as 2012, when 5 of the top 15 players picked (and a total of 7 in the 1st round) had dreads. This year Cooper was the only player with dreads selected in the top 15 and the first of 5 selected in round 1. But the grand total of 36 players with dreads for the entire draft not only easily surpassed last year's total of 30, I think it also is an all-time high for any draft.


With all the draftees just now beginning their first NFL training camp, let's take a look at where they'll be playing. In addition to the 36, another 45 players with dreads who were signed as free agents after not being drafted also are in camp. So with a total of 81 rookies with dreads, I'm splitting dread gallery #146 into 2 parts. To make it easier for me, I'll be using the letters "FA" as an abbreviation for free agent. Most of the photos are from minicamps and OTA practices during May and June. But every year there are always a couple of players who lose their dreads right before summer training camp (for example, Seahawks S Earl Thomas just recently cut his off); so it's possible that not all the players featured in DG146 still have dreads.

OK. Let's begin Part 1 with the Oakland Raiders. Just a couple of years ago you had to look hard to see any dreads at all on the Raiders sideline. But that certainly will not be the case in 2013. LB Philip Wheeler is gone after signing with the Miami Dolphins. But apparently the Raiders were so pleased with his work during his only season in Oakland in 2012  that they loaded up on players with dreads for this season. Josh Cribbs, Usama Young, Mike Jenkins, Pat Sims, and Jason Hunter all signed as free agents. And joining them for their first training camp wearing the silver and black will be 4 rookies with dreads .....
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1. DE David Bass, the only player with dreads from a Division 2 school to be drafted, was the Raiders' pick in the 7th round. As you may recall, Bass, from Missouri Western, was featured in my draft preview.
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2. David Bass does a drill with his new position coach, Terrell Williams, during rookie minicamp a couple of weeks after the draft.
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3. LB Sio Moore, from UConn, was the first player with dreads selected in round 3, the 66th pick overall, and was the second of three LBs with dreads picked in the entire draft. You never saw his name mentioned in any of my college reports last season because I didn't even know he was growing dreads until I saw him at the Combine in February.
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4. LB Kevin Burnett, a 9-year veteran in his first season with the Raiders, has taken Sio Moore under his wing during the offseason practices. Here Moore listens to some advice during an OTA practice in May.
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5. No players with dreads were drafted from teams in the SWAC; but four players from the SWAC, all with very sick dreads, signed as FA - two of which are with the Raiders. From Grambling, here's Eric Harper, who is going to give LB a try after recording 11.5 TFL and 4 sacks as a DE in his only season with the Tigers. Before that, he was a WR and TE for three seasons at Louisiana Tech. 
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6. I was thrilled when I found out that former Alabama State QB Greg Jenkins signed with the Raiders (and it's nice to see him with his dreads not reduced too). Jenkins was the starting QB at ASU for two seasons, but you knew he wasn't going to be a QB in the NFL; but apparently he was impressive enough at rookie minicamp as a WR for the Raiders to sign him: http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/05/former_alabama_state_standout.html 
Good luck, Greg. I know the odds are against you, but it most definitely would be a pleasant surprise to see you in uniform at Indy on opening day.
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7. Also from the SWAC, here's WR Rico Richardson, who already had the eye of Coach Reid at the Kansas City Chiefs' rookie minicamp in May. No doubt he recognizes the potential. Richardson, who had 19 TD catches the last two seasons at Jackson State, is exactly what the Chiefs need - a deep threat. And he was a standout on special teams for JSU as well. So even though he wasn't drafted, I'm not hoping, I'm expecting him to make the Chiefs' final roster.
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Rounding out the AFC West, there are no rookies with dreads in the Denver Broncos' training camp, but there are 4 with the San Diego Chargers.
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8. The Chargers are hoping that 6th round pick Tourek Williams displays the same talent as a pass rusher as he did as a DE at FIU. Williams is the 2nd of 2 players with dreads drafted out of the Sun Belt Conference.
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9. The best dreads in Chargers' camp will be on the head of FA S Jahleel Addae, a 3-year starter and 2-time all-MAC selection while he was at Central Michigan, where he had 8 career INT.
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10. FA CB Josh Johnson, one of the players featured in my draft preview, had 1 INT during his sophomore season at Purdue, 2 INT as a junior, and 3 as a senior. No doubt the Chargers would be delighted if he had 4 INT this year; but don't hold your breath. I'd be happy if he even makes the practice squad.
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11. OT Randy Richards wasn't picked in the draft, and he's kind of pissed off about it. I'm sorry I couldn't find a better photo than this; but if Richards is as good as he thinks he is, he'll be getting plenty of face time in the near future. "Although I'm from Missouri State, I feel like I am the best lineman in this draft," said Richards a couple of days before not being drafted. Richards went undetected by my radar while he was at MSU. In his photo on the school's website, it's hard to tell if he has dreads or not. And since the Bears weren't on TV much, I didn't realize how good a player he is. Let's see if he can live up to his own hype.
http://www.the-standard.org/sports/missouri-state-right-tackle-signed-by-san-diego-chargers/article_a0b074be-b13b-11e2-8e98-001a4bcf6878.html
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After Jonathan Cooper there was only one more player with dreads selected by any of the teams in the NFC West. But there won't be any shortage of rookies with dreads in training camp, because all four teams signed at least two FA with dreads.
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12. St. Louis Rams' Coach Fisher and GM Les Snead keep a close eye on Ray Ray Armstrong at rookie minicamp, hoping he still has the talent he showed during his three seasons at the U but which he didn't show last season because he was ineligible. A safety with the Hurricanes, the 6-3, 227-pound Armstrong is trying to make it as a LB with the Rams. 
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13.  If CB Robert Steeples, who played three seasons at Missouri before transferring to Memphis for his senior year, makes the team, he'll be one of the few DBs in the league who had no INT at all during their college career.
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14. Just like Robert Steeples, CB Andre Martin transferred during his senior year in college - from Northern Iowa to FCS champion North Dakota State. Like Steeples, Martin is a St. Louis native. And like Steeples, he's a longshot to be with the team in September.
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15. Just like with Sio Moore, with dreads this short I didn't know about OT Alvin Bailey until he was at the Combine. Bailey, The 6-3, 320-pound former Arkansas Razorback, signed as a FA with the Seattle Seahawks.
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16. Here's another player the Seahawks signed that I didn't know had dreads until just recently - WR Justin Veltung, trying to make a catch against CB Will Blackmon during an OTA practice in June. I might have noticed Veltung last year during his senior season at Idaho but didn't because he didn't play much due to injury. Word is he's a really good kick returner. We'll see.
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17. After a rather ordinary career at Mississippi State (8 career TD catches), it's surprising to see WR Arceto Clark with a Seahawks' helmet on. But he got steadily better during his time with the Bulldogs, so maybe he's a late bloomer. We'll see.
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18. MarQueis Gray worked out as a QB at the Combine; but he was a better runner than a passer during his college career at Minnesota, so all the teams weren't really looking at him as a serious QB prospect ......
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19. ..... But at 6-4, 250 pounds, Gray just might make it as a TE - at least the San Francisco 49ers think so. I don't think it's a coincidence that the 49ers gave him the #46 jersey that Delanie Walker used to wear. They're hoping Gray will able to replace Walker, who signed with the Titans during the offseason: http://www.49ers.com/news/article-2/MarQueis-Gray-Adjusts-to-New-Position/1e751c54-7db2-44cd-a2ba-8dc9785f1a20
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20. I thought we had seen the last of WR Chuck Jacobs after Utah State's victory over Toledo in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl last December. But no. The 49ers think he has NFL potential, even though he scored just 7 TD in his 2 seasons at USU. Here Jacobs walks with former South Florida QB B.J. Daniels (left) in rookie minicamp on May 10 and catches a pass (right) in an OTA practice on May 22.
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21. Here's 1st-round pick Jonathan Cooper in action, blocking a defender during his first practice in a Cardinals uniform on May 10.
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22. Jonathan Cooper, one of 5 players with dreads from the ACC to be drafted, does an agility drill on May 10 - which for him is no problem. Lindy's draft preview magazine says Cooper is an "extremely effortless mover with explosive quickness in tight quarters." And in their wrap-up they say "Cooper ranks as one of 2013's safest prospects and a future Pro Bowl contender with the potential to star at any of the three interior line positions." Let's hope they're right.
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23. The only other player with dreads besides Cooper to be drafted by an NFC West team also was picked by the Cardinals. And he's also from the ACC - former Clemson RB Andre Ellington. Running backs got the cold shoulder in this year's draft. No RBs were picked in the 1st round of the draft for the first time in 50 years. And Ellington, expected at worst to be a 4th-round pick, had to wait until round 6 to hear his name called. If Andre can stay healthy (that's a big if), Cardinals got themselves a steal.
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Also in camp with the Cardinals are three rookie FA with dreads ......
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24. CB Ronnie Yell, who was the only player with dreads for San Jose State last season .....


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25. ..... former Southern U WR Charles Hawkins, who has some pretty good bloodlines - he's a cousin of one of the NFL's players best ever, Walter Payton .......
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26. ...... and WR Tyler Shaw, a former standout in Division 2 at Northwest Missouri State. Shaw, chasing rookie CB Tyrann Mathieu on a punt return (left photo) on May 14 and catching a pass at the Cardinals' fan fest on June 11 (right photo), scored 35 career TD at Northwest Missouri, including 12 TD catches last season.
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We can only hope that the nasty virus that struck the Miami Dolphins a couple of years ago that caused everybody to want to cut off their dreads is long gone. It better be, because I'd hate to see anything happen to the dreads of Philip Wheeler, Dannell Ellerbe, and Lance Louis - all of whom signed with the Dolphins during the offseason.
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27. The Dolphins also added some sick dreads in the draft, selecting former Tennessee G/OT Dallas Thomas in the 3rd round. Thomas had to take it easy during rookie minicamp on May 3 (both photos) because he was still recovering from surgery after injuring his shoulder during practice before the Senior Bowl back in January. But he's good to go now.
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Thomas was the only player with dreads drafted by an AFC East team. And the only other rookie with dreads in an AFC East training camp is .....
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28. ..... CB Nickell Robey with the Buffalo Bills. Robey entered the draft a year early, skipping his senior season at USC - only to suffer a rude awakening when nobody drafted him. If I had to bet, I'd bet we'll see Nickell, despite the snub, make the Bills' opening day roster.
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29. If you see a DB with reduced dreads in the N.Y. Giants training camp, it most likely will be former FIU CB Junior Mertile - although he won't be wearing #12, as he did during rookie minicamp on May 10. Mertile, a FA, is now in jersey #49 (but probably won't be on opening day).
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30. Former Fresno State S Phillip Thomas, defensive player of the year in the MWC last season, was drafted in the 4th round by the Washington Redskins. Thomas led Division 1- FBS with 8 INT in 2012, three of which he turned into pick sixes.  
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31. In addition to drafting Phillip Thomas, the Redskins also picked former North Carolina State CB David Amerson (middle) in round 2 and former Georgia S Bacarri Rambo in round 6. I guess this means that Brandon Meriweather's time with the team may be over.
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32. The only other rookie with dreads in camp with the Redskins is FA OT Xavier Nixon, the 6-6, 309-pound former Florida Gator.













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Elsewhere in the NFC East, the Philadelphia Eagles did nothing to try to increase the very small number of dreads on their team, but the Dallas Cowboys certainly did, drafting two players with dreads and signing two rookie FA.
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33. In the 3rd round the Cowboys picked former Georgia Southern S J.J. Wilcox, who excelled in the secondary last season after playing his first three seasons at GSU on offense as a RB/WR.
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34. And in round 4 the Cowboys selected another DB from an FCS school - former William & Mary CB B.W. Webb, shown in photo above getting beat by 3rd-round pick Terrance Williams in rookie minicamp on May 10. 
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35. FA LB Taylor Reed, who led SMU in tackles three years in a row, reaches to stop WR Jared Green during OTA practice on May 21.
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36. Taylor Reed gets a pat from Cowboys owner Jerry Jones as he takes a break on May 22. Reed had 12.5 sacks during his college career, including 6.5 in 2012. It would not be a surprise if he makes the Cowboys opening day roster.
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37. Of the five WRs who were on my 2012 all-America with dreads team and were eligible to be drafted, former MTSU WR Anthony Amos was the only one not drafted. Amos was 8 yards short of a 1,000-yard season last year and had 9 TD catches; but he'll have to be very impressive in camp if he plans on still being around in September. 
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In the NFC South .....
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38. Trying to improve their porous defense, the New Orleans Saints picked huge (6-3, 358 pounds) DT John Jenkins, the former Georgia Bulldog, in the 3rd round of the draft. Jenkins was the 1st of 4 DTs with dreads selected.
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39. Also in camp with the Saints is FA LB Ray Shipman, who traded in one black and gold #46 jersey for another after finishing his college career at UCF celebrating a victory over Ball State in the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl. Of course, if Shipman is still on the team on opening day, he'll have to change numbers, because the NFL does not allow linebackers to wear numbers in the 40's.
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40. You know, I thought about including former Buffalo (that's the Buffalo in the MAC, not the AFC East) DE Steven Means in my draft preview but didn't because I figured he wouldn't be drafted. And that's just a stupid, lazy mistake on my part because I shouldn't assume anything, especially since I've never seen him play. Sorry about that, Steven. Means, in fact, was drafted - in round 5 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the last of five DEs with dreads to be drafted.
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41. The only other rookie with dreads with the Buccaneers is OT Jason Weaver, hoping this season brings him more success than 2012, when he suffered through Southern Mississippi's 0-12 season.
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42. Nine players from Alabama were selected in the draft; but surprisingly S Robert Lester was not one of them. Apparently Lester, 6-1 and 215 pounds, didn't run fast enough at one of the Crimson Tide's pro days (left photo) to impress the scouts and went undrafted, despite a solid college career in which he started 40 games. But that allowed him to sign with whatever team he wanted; and he picked the Carolina Panthers, a team with a starting S spot available. So don't be surprised to see him on the field often as a rookie and having a close encounter or two with his former college and high school teammate, Julio Jones. 
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Of the four players with dreads selected by NFC South teams, half of them were picked by the Atlanta Falcons (no surprise).
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43. After letting starting CBs Brent Grimes and Dunta Robinson sign with other teams, the Falcons drafted CBs with their first two picks, including former Washington Husky Desmond Trufant in the 1st round (22nd player overall). If the name Trufant sounds familiar, it's because Desmond has two older brothers (also CBs) already in the NFL - Marcus and Isaiah. Marcus cut off his braids several years ago, and Isaiah cut off his dreads during this offseason. But Desmond has only had his dreads for about three years, so hopefully he's planning to let them get much longer than this. Whatever hair he has, the Falcons are counting on him to be in the starting lineup on opening day. 
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44. After taking Trufant in the 1st round, the Falcons picked former UCF S Kemal Ishmael in the last round. Ishmael was the CUSA defensive player of the year in 2012 and was the only CUSA player with dreads selected in this year's draft.
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OK. That's it for Part 1. But there's much more in Part 2. as usual, I've saved the best for last.