Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
The New England Patriots got Tom Brady at 199. How did players in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft turn out and what did they grade?
The 2000 NFL Draft produced a memorable selection. It didn’t come in the first five rounds. Rather, it was the New England Patriots using a compensatory pick at 199 to select Michigan QB Tom Brady. How did teams do in the 2000 first round?
Trung Canidate played four seasons, rushing for 1,095 yards. His best season was his final one with Washington. He rushed for 600 yards in 10 games in 2003. In three seasons with Arizona, he ran for 495 yards. Grade: D-minus
A relative of former NFL running back Michael Pittman is in a dire battle with the Coronavirus.
A relative of a former NFL running back is comatose and in critical condition, battling coronavirus, Michael Pittman told ESPN’s Jenna Laine.
Laine posted the news on Twitter Thursday with the permission of the running back, who was a fourth-round pick of the Bucs in 1998 by the Arizona Cardinals and played for four NFL teams.
Former Bucs RB Michael Pittman is asking for prayers right now. With his blessing, I am posting that a family member of his contracted the coronavirus, has been in the hospital since last Thursday and is now in a coma and in critical condition. He said they need a miracle.
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) March 12, 2020
…I told Mike he’s got an army of prayer warriors with him. Thank you so much for caring, guys!
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) March 12, 2020
Pittman played four seasons in Arizona before joining Tampa Bay for six years. His 11th and final season was with the Denver Broncos in 2008. He enjoyed his best NFL season in 2004, when he rushed for 926 yards and seven touchdowns, and caught 41 passes for 391 yards and three TDs, in 13 games. Overall, he rushed for 5,627 yards.
Pittman’s son, Michael Pittman Jr., is top draft prospect at wide receiver out of USC.
Tom Brady and Dak Prescott are two of the top players picked by teams using compensatory NFL Draft picks.
The great Gil Brandt tweeted a list of the teams with the most compensatory draft picks since 1994. Taking a look at what teams wound up with the most picks and who some of them turned out to be.
The Chargers selected JaTavis Brown in the fifth round (175th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft. Brown was the first linebacker drafted from Akron. He also became the 15th player drafted from Akron since the inception of the NFL Draft in 1936. In 2018, he posted a career-high 97 tackles and he has 265 total tackles in his NFL career.
Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota and others from the 2015 first round have left a lot to be desired.
The 2015 NFL Draft produced many players who were considered expendable by their teams long before the 2020 season. It is the classic example of how much of a guessing game the draft process can be. This first round will go down as forgettable as opposed to memorable.
Malcom Brown was drafted out of Texas. The defensive lineman spent four seasons with the Patriots before having his fifth year option declined. He wound up in New Orleans. Brown had 8.5 sacks as a Patriot and added two with the Saints. Can’t take away the two Super Bowl rings he has. Grade: C
NFL free agency: 25 signings that turned out for the best
Reggie White, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Mark Ingram fit the bill as smart NFL free-agent signings.
There have been some major shifts for teams through the free-agent market. Plenty of Hall of Famers — and future HOFers — have made marks by moving from one city to another.
The Bucs signed Shaq Barrett to a $5 million contract before last season. The linebacker delivered in a big way. He led the NFL with 19.5 sacks and has earned himself a big pay day in the 2020 Class.
Who are the career passing yardage leaders for all 32 NFL teams?
There are familiar names and some surprises on the list of quarterbacks who are the all-time passing yardage leaders for each NFL team.
The quarterbacks who lead all 32 teams in passing yardage range from the obvious to the stunning.
Jim Hart played 18 seasons with the Cardinals, albeit all in St. Louis. He threw for 34,665 yards and 209 TDs against 247 picks. His lone year to lead in a category was 1974 when he threw 388 passes.
There have been 65 SEC quarterbacks taken in the first round in the Super Bowl era. How have they done?
Joe Burrow of LSU is the prohibitive favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He lit up the SEC in 2019, which sparked thought on how have quarterbacks chosen in the draft done since the Super Bowl era. The biggest names will be featured next to the year they were chosen.
35 players who never suited up for the teams that drafted them
