YouTube Time: Geno Has Arrived

There's no doubt Geno Smith is a very good collegiate quarterback. He may even become a great pro quarterback. But, before the start of the 2010 season there was much speculation surrounding his play. All that speculation went out there door on September 10th.

Marshall was just eight minutes from their first ever win over WVU. Leading 21-6, the Herd were just about to ice it, when they fumbled in the red zone. That fumble led to one hell of a comeback. Geno Smith put together two of the finest fourth quarter drives in recent memory...one from 96-yards, the other from 98. Two touchdowns, an extra point, and a 2-point conversion later, we were headed to OT. WVU would eventually win in the extra frame, and a star was born.



This video shows how solid Smith is at the position. He has very good vision, a solid arm, and moves in the pocket well. Geno was getting absolutely blasted in that game, but kept making the throws. It will be scary to see him in the new Dana Holgorsen offense.

Quick note: Watch Noel Devine's vision on his touchdown run. It's quite a move to get in from where he was, and who was in front of him.

Jock Sanders to Join the Bucs

Word from Geoff Coyle is that Jock Sanders is off to Tampa to join the Buccaneers. The former Mountaineer superback will most likely be battling for the return specialist job.

Sanders could be more limited in the NFL due to his size, especially at the position he plays. At just 5'6", Sanders isn't the prototypical receiver size, but the dude has talent. He could be a dynamic return man, and may find himself in the backfield. If given the chance in Tampa, Sanders could prove his value.

Tampa could use some help on kickoff returns, and A LOT of help on punt returns. The Bucs were 30th in punt return average (6.4 yards) in the league. It's also a team that will be looking for receivers. It will be interesting to see if Sanders gets that chance to prove he can play the slot in this league.

Anthony Leonard to the Patriots

It looks like Anthony Leonard will be taking his talents to the greatest team on the face of the Earth, the New England Patriots (no bias here). The former Mountaineer linebacker will be thrown into the fire of a very crowded unit in Foxboro.

Leonard had a solid final year in Morgantown, finishing with 70 total tackles, eight for loss. He has good size for the inside, but quickness eludes him. Leonard's best chance to shine is on kick coverage, with an outside shot of being a primary backup. However, this is the New England Patriots. This is the team that takes the "Never Will Be's" and turns them into respectable players. So, anything is possible.

Best of luck to Leonard, and being a Mountaineer Alum and and Pat's fan, I sincerely hope he makes this squad.

Buffalo Bills to Sign Sidney Glover

According to buffalosbillsdraft.com, Sidney Glover is heading to Buffalo. This is a good spot for the former Mountaineer safety. The Bills have some free agency issues at the safety position, and could always use help on special teams.

Glover was a productive safety during his time in Morgantown. He has good size and hands. He's not the fastest guy on the field, so he will have to make up for it with improved acceleration. Glover showed he could help against the run, and ended up with four sacks and eight tackles for loss in 2010. His technique needs work, but could easily step right in on kick coverage.

Don't expect Glover to be starting in 2011 for Buffalo, but he does have a very good chance to make this roster. Plus, the Bills have had some good success with former Mountaineers in the past.

Noel Devine to Sign with Atlanta, errrr Philly

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Noel Devine will sign with the Atlanta Falcons at 10AM today. The former Mountaineer rusher joins a busy backfield, including Michael Turner and Jacquizz Rodgers. However, it may look different in a few days with both Jerious Norwood and Jason Snelling listed as free agents.

Devine was extremely productive during his time in Morgantown, and was a no doubt draft pick before injuries slowed him down. He tested well heading up to the draft, including a low of 4.36 in the 40. Ultimately, his questionable durability and small stature (5'8", 179lb) outweighed his ability, and wasn't drafted.

This is the ultimate "just give him a chance" situation. Devine will make it in this league, he just needs the chance...I'm just not so sure this is his best opportunity. It would be hard to believe that Atlanta is looking to keep Devine along with Rodgers. The players are similar in stature and style. And, you'd have to believe Rodgers already has a leg up in the competition considering he was a 5th round pick. It should be a fun battle, whatever the case may be.

Even if Devine's future isn't in the Dirty Dirty, it's a step in the door...a chance for him to prove he belongs. Expect the speedster to take full advantage of it.

UPDATE: According to HailWV.com and others, Devine has not signed with the Falcons just yet, and is listening to other offers. We will try to keep you posted.

UPDATE, UPDATE: Devine has inked a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. Not sure it's much better of a situation than the one in Atlanta. That is a jumbled backfield, so Devine will have to work to make this team.

Undrafted Free Agents Getting Ready for the Call

With the NFL season just days away from finally beginning, one group of former Mountaineers are collectivly breathing a sigh of relief. Typically undrafted free agents would be deep into OTA's, and spending or saving their signing bonuses. Sure, the bonuses are much smaller than those of first rounders, but at least its financial security. While drafted players have essentially been supported by their respective agents and waiting for camps to open, the undrafted players have been out in the real world, trying to make a buck or two, waiting for football to start. And now the NFL is back, and a whole bunch of movin' and shakin' is about to go down.

There's reports that have undrafted free agent signings beginning as early as today. This means Noel Devine, Sidney Glover, Scooter Berry, and Jock Sanders will be waiting intently by the phone.

Devine is an outstanding talent. He was a lock to be drafted, but injuries hampered his production in his Senior season. Devine will find it tough to be an every-down back in the NFL, but his quickness and pure speed can make him valuable in the right system. He has good hands too, and could be used as a return man. Durability will be his biggest issue in the NFL.
Possible Locations: Cleveland, St Louis, Carolina

Sanders will be more limited in the NFL due to his size, and the position he plays. At just 5'6", Sanders isn't the prototypical receiver size, but the dude has talent. He could be a dynamic return man, and may find himself in the backfield. If given the chance Sanders could prove his value.
Possible Locations: New York Giants, Pittsburgh, San Fransisco

Glover was a productive safety during his time in Morgantown. He has good size, fair speed, and good hands. Glover showed he could help against the run, and also had eight tackles for loss. His technique probably needs work, but could find a job in special teams, while maturing.
Possible Locations: Buffalo, Indianapolis, Denver

Berry converted from fullback to the defensive line, and prospered under Jeff Casteel. He's very good against the run, and has the athleticism to get after the quarterback. Could use a few more pounds to truly be a solid DT.
Possible Locations: Buffalo, Oakland, Washington

Best of luck to all of these players, and the former Mountaineers that were already drafted. Yes, it looks like the NFL is just about back.

Let's Realign the Conferences, Part Two: Alphabetical Order

People love complaining about the conference structure in college football. Sure, there are some strange combinations, and long roadtrips, but it could be worse. And I'm here to show you how worse(or awesome) it could be.

Here is part two of many to come. Part one can be found here.

This is a pretty simple strategy; just line them up by name. No thought put into it at all...well, other than trying to decide what name to use (ie Mississippi vs Ole Miss). Let's just say the travel cost could get a little out of control.

1. This is an interesting collection. A few SEC and PAC-12 schools highlight the group, but watch-out for Air Force. The Academy could be the wildcard in this conference. Travel could be worse, though West Point to Arizona possibly twice-a-year would be fun.

Air Force

Akron
Alabama
Arizona
Arizona State
Arkansas
Arkansas State

Army
Auburn

Ball State

Baylor

2. It's a battle of East vs West in this conference. Nothng like a trip for California to Boston in December to spice things up. The closest trip for Clemson? Cincinnati. Ouch.

Boise State

Boston College

Bowling Green

BYU

Buffalo

California

Central Michigan

Cincinnati

Clemson

Colorado

Colorado State

Connecticut

3. Well, someone was going to be stuck with Hawaii. I'm not sure the Warriors would be able to afford this conference. Numerous trips to the East Coast could prove quite costly. Florida, FSU, Georgia, and Tech actually make this conference quite competitive.

Duke

East Carolina

Eastern Michigan

Florida

Florida Atlantic

Florida International

Florida State

Fresno State

Georgia

Georgia Tech

Hawaii

Houston

4. What a boring conference. It's like taking the most lame teams from their respective conferences and throwing them together. This is a basketball conference.

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Iowa State

Kansas

Kansas State

Kent State

Kentucky

Louisiana-Lafayette

Louisiana-Monroe

Louisiana Tech

5. Now, this is a conference. Traditional programs, mixed with emerging schools. Many of these colleges have BCS experience, and lots of promise for the future. Obviously I'm talking about Memphis and Miami (OH).

Louisville

LSU

Marshall

Maryland

Memphis

Miami

MIami (OH)

MIchigan

MIchigan State

Middle Tennessee

Minnesota

Mississippi State

6. This actually looks like a traditional Notre Dame schedule. Lots of "who cares" teams, a few solid programs, and Navy. Now, only if Purdue had snuck in.

Missouri

Navy

NC State

Nebraska

Nevada

New Mexico

New Mexico State

North Carolina

North Texas

Northern Illinois

Northwestern

Notre Dame

7. Another pretty tough group. Could be one of the deepest with 10 out of the 12 from BCS conferences. Good luck to Rice and Ohio...they will need it.

Ohio

Ohio State

Oklahoma

Oklahoma State

Ole Miss

Oregon

Oregon State

Penn State

Pittsburgh

Purdue

Rice

Rutgers

8. Talk about some travel. California to Florida to New York to everywhere in between. Actually, it's quite a nice group of traditional programs. Nice to see Texas and Stanford in together, considering the two schools are top-5 in overall NCAA championships in all sports.

San Diego State

San Jose State

SMU

South Carolina

South Florida

Southern Miss

Stanford

Syracuse

TCU

Temple

Tennessee

Texas

9. Let the bragging rights begin between California and Texas. This is a also a very dirty conference, with the likes of USC, UCF, Toledo, and Texas TEch in the mix. Who am I kidding? They all cheat.

Texas A&M

Texas Tech

Toledo

Troy
Tulane
Tulsa
UAB
UCF

UCLA

USC
Utah
Utah State

10. Well, WVU and Virginia Tech would be rivals again. Other than that, not much to talk about. Lots of travel, and lots of subpar programs.

UTEP

Vanderbilt
Virginia
Virginia Tech
Wake Forest
Washington
Washington State
West Virginia
Western Kentucky
Western Michigan
Wisconsin
Wyoming