NFL Draft 2012: Indianapolis Colts

With the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft this coming weekend (Round 1 Thursday, Rounds 2-3 Friday, Rounds 4-7 Saturday), the Indianapolis Colts are on the clock. This team was by far the worst in the league last season and it just goes to show how big of an impact Peyton Manning made on this team. Without him at the helm, the Colts looked lost out there. That's why with the first overall pick in this year's draft I see the Indianapolis Colts taking QB Andrew Luck from Standford. They need a leader, signal caller, and a new face of the franchise.

Luck has been touted as "the best QB prospect to come out of college since John Elway." He reminds me of Aaron Rodgers. Luck has a strong, extremely accurate arm that will allow him to make any throw at the NFL level. Without a doubt Luck has the ability to diagnose defenses and make the correct progressions and reads in leading his team down the field. At the combine he put his incredible athelticism on display. It goes to show how mobile he is within the pocket when avoiding on-coming pass rushers. Luck is highly skilled at throwing on the run too, displaying great accuracy and ball velocity. He's got an ideal build at 6'4" 235 and a proven three year track record at Stanford. Really no weaknesses to Andrew Luck's game as he's destined to be an elite player in the NFL for quite some time.

Broncos now Super Bowl favorites?

With the signing of Free Agent Quarterback Peyton Manning this offseason, many casual football fans have been labeling the Denver Broncos as Super Bowl locks this year. Personally, I completely disagree with that statement even if Manning is fully recovered from his neck surgeries. If Manning would've went to a team with more talent on boths sides of the ball (ala the San Francisco 49ers) than I can see the argument. Despite being one of the Top 3 Quarterbacks of all time, that team just doesn't have the defense to make the run everyone's talking about. With Peyton though, I have the Broncos as the favorites in the division.  Locks for the Super Bowl? Even with all of their Free Agent signings (WR Caldwell, TE Dreessen, TE Tamme, CB Porter), I still think this team doesn't even make it to the AFC Championship game.

Deron Williams pushing for Dwight?

In last nights 104-101 win over the Bobcats, the New Jersey Nets starting Point Guard Deron Williams scored a career-high 57 points. Shooting 16 of 29 from the field and 21 of 21 on free throws, Williams also added 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Even though the Nets are 12 and 26 just a week after the All-Star Weekend, was this a calling by Deron Williams to try and convince Dwight Howard to come play in the Bronx next year? This was quite the showing and these two would be quite the tandem together. The team's current Center, Brook Lopez, left the game early after rolling his ankle. This is concerning to the organization as he's already missed 32 games this season due to a broken right foot. What does the future have in store for the New Jersey Nets and Deron Williams?

Andrew McCutchen signs long-term deal

Reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh Pirates star center fielder Andrew McCutchen has signed long-term with the team. The deal is reportedly a six-year, $51.5 million contract with a team option in 2018 worth $14.75 million. This is a huge step for the Pittsburgh Pirates as he is one of the core players this team should be building around for many years to come. Selected in the first round of the 2005 draft, McCutchen made his major league debut in 2009. He hasn't looked back as he was a National League All-Star last season with a .259 batting average, 23 home runs, and 89 RBIs. Both his and the Pirates future look very bright as this team finally seems committed to keeping their talent and building through the draft on their way to success in the coming years.

Introduction

Hi, my name is Zack Cervone (ZCC8780). I'm a senior in my second year at Slippery Rock University. Originally, I studied Accounting at Robert Morris University, but upon transferring to Slippery Rock University as a junior I changed my major to Sport Management and added a minor in Business Administration. My career interest is anything professional football related as I'd really love the chance to interact with the best athletes in the world on a daily basis.