Sports Page Atlanta

With the conclusion of this weekend’s NFL draft and subsequent free agent signing process, many familiar players from the area are headed off to pursue their NFL dreams. Here’s a rundown of who went where and what kind of role they’ll play on their new team.

Marcus Howard, Indianapolis - Faithful readers will know this is where I had Howard going (albeit in another round), and it makes plenty of sense. He’s a small edge rusher, and the Colts have shown they can have success with small, speedy linemen like Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. Howard won’t start any time soon, but he could be utilized as a situational rush specialist this year.

Thomas Brown, Atlanta - This is a great fit for Brown, and the new regime in Atlanta will value a hardworking athletic back who can block. He should beat out Jason Snelling, who is more of a fullback anyway, for the #3 spot in Atlanta. He won’t carry a full workload, but he should be a valuable 3rd down back somewhere along the line.

Chester Adams, Chicago - My guess is that Adams is in Chicago to provide bulk and versatility to a fairly shallow line. If Adams is starting or playing much this year, it means something has gone wrong for the Bears, but he should be a 3rd string player while they work on this project.

Brandon Coutu, Seattle - If Coutu can beat out Olindo Mare in camp this year, he will handle field goals. If not, he’ll probably be cut and find another team to kick for. He definitely has an NFL career ahead of him, with or without Seattle.

Kregg Lumpkin, Green Bay - With Green Bay loaded with running backs, Lumpkin’s a longshot to make it out of camp, but don’t be shocked if he does. With Ryan Grant, Brandon Jackson, Vernand Morency, and DeShawn Wynn all also present, Lumpkin will be hard-pressed to make the team as a halfback. As a receiving fullback, though, he has a shot.

Kelin Johnson, Seattle - Kelin has a great chance to stick in Seattle as a special teams player and it won’t surprise me at all if he makes the team out of camp. Don’t expect to see him playing safety very much this season.

Brandon Miller, Atlanta - I didn’t even include Miller in my preview because I thought it was such a longshot he’d get drafted, and while that was true, Atlanta signed him, presumably to be a defensive end. Miller is blessed with exceptional athleticism, and while he played linebacker somewhat poorly in college, he could become a real sleeper at defensive end. He’s very raw, but with players this athletic, you can’t rule anything out.

Fernando Velasco, Tennessee - The Titans just got a lineman that will make them proud. He’s a hard working player who will adapt to anything the team asks of him. Considering Tennessee doesn’t really have any reliable backup guards, Velasco has a really good chance of sticking with the team.

Sean Bailey, Kansas City - It always surprised me when Bailey wasn’t considered a pro prospect, and now I’m really happy to see him sign somewhere. He has the NFL pedigree, he has the skills, and he just needs to add some bulk and work on some technical things. There’s no telling if he’ll make the team, or even be on the practice squad, but it’s nice to know there’s some interest out there for him.

This weekend, while most Atlanta eyes will be closely watching the Falcons, plenty of other local fans will be watching to see where their favorite college players wind up going. Here’s your guide to the former Georgia Bulldogs for this weekend.

• Marcus Howard, Rush Specialist - Much of the nation had not heard of Marcus Howard until he turned Colt Brennan into his own personal tackling dummy during the 2008 Sugar Bowl. While it’s true that 2007 was Howard’s first year as a starter, and that lack of experience is a concern to NFL scouts, Howard still turned in an impressive performance, piling up 10.5 sacks on the year. Yes, he’s still too small to be an every down lineman, but he has added bulk since leaving college, and he weighed in at 237 pounds at the combine. That’s still certainly blockable, but that comes with the assumption the lineman can get his hands on Howard. After turning in the fastest 40 time among all defensive linemen and linebackers at the combine, and one of the top 4 verticals, Howard is proving himself agile and elusive when going after the QB. Howard will best be used as a rush specialist, either as a defensive end in a 4-3 or an outside linebacker in a 3-4. He can probably learn how to cover tight ends as well, considering he was a full tenth of a second faster than any tight end in this year’s draft in the 40. All in all, he’s an attractive prospect who can immediately help in blitz packages and with some weight room time and some coaching, might turn into a real asset as an outside linebacker.
  Just for fun prediction: Round 3 (93rd overall) - Indianapolis Colts, who have a system that allows rush specialists to thrive.
• Thomas Brown, Running Back - Brown has a lengthy list of superlatives, but his negatives will force him into the second day of the draft this weekend. Getting those out of the way first, he just isn’t very big. While many NFL RBs lack height, they also don’t lack bulk, and Brown is short on both inches and pounds. Then there’s the reason teams worry about that size: injuries. Brown piled up injuries at Georgia, missing 11 games in 4 years, and that was after missing 5 his senior year at Tucker High. His fragility means he cannot be depended on by an NFL team, but he will still be drafted, for several huge reasons. First off, the dude’s a warrior. He’s tough as both a runner and a blocker, and he plays much bigger than his size, if that makes sense. He’s also a warrior in the weight room, as he was pound for pound the strongest player on UGA’s roster. He’s a shifty runner who can fight for extra yards here and there up the middle or cut to the outside. He’s not so much fast as he is quick. He has great vision and is better at making defenders miss than simply outrunning them. Another very important aspect of becoming an NFL running back is blocking, and Brown is, for his size, an excellent blocker. Finally, he’s coachable and will do whatever he can to help the team. A high-character guy that will be a clubhouse and field leader is hard to find in the 4th or 5th round, so some NFL team will walk away very pleased with this pick.
  Just for fun prediction: Round 4 (128th overall) - Green Bay Packers, who could use a slash and cut runner to balance out their power running game.
• Fernando Velasco, Offensive Guard - Velasco played Guard and Center in college, a sign that he is both versatile and team-oriented. His footwork is a little slow, though, and everything he does seems to be overachieving. While that seems like a backhanded compliment, it also implies that Velasco is a hard worker and a coachable player. As a run blocker he has great punch and can clear holes. His inability to pass block against top competition, though, makes him a project for now. He’ll benefit, however, from an incredibly weak crop of guards this year, and will probably get drafted as a result.
  Just for fun prediction: Round 7 (225th overall) - Arizona Cardinals, who are trying to become a run-first team.
• Brandon Coutu, Kicker - When healthy, there probably isn’t a better field goal kicker in this draft. Coutu has been known to boom them from well beyond 50 yards during his time at Georgia. However, “when healthy” is key here, as Coutu has had hamstring issues throughout his career at Georgia, and it could prevent him from being drafted. Also, as evidenced at the Cocktail Party a few years ago, the wind has its way with him at times. Still, if you put this guy indoors and give him a chance to kick the game winner, he can make it. Also, he gets the ball up high and will rarely be blocked. Unfortunately, NFL scouts don’t see him as someone who will kick off for the team, and if you’re going to be one of the two or three kickers drafted, you have to be a kickoff threat. Whether he’s a late round pick or a free agent, someone is going to wind up with a nifty field goal specialist.
  Just for fun prediction: Round 7 (227th overall) - Denver Broncos, who have had success with kickers from Gwinnett County before. See: Jason Elam.
• Kregg Lumpkin, Running Back - It’s still unknown whether Lumpkin’s future lies at halfback or fullback, but most teams certainly feel he has a future in some respect. If a team converts him to fullback, he’ll only be useful as a receiver immediately. His blocking was almost non-existent during his tenure at Georgia. I like him more as a halfback prospect, and with another 15 pounds he could become a fine NFL power runner. When he runs between the tackles, he’s a force up the middle, powering through tackles and usually gaining extra yards. From a technical standpoint, he’s a very sound runner. He has plenty of talent and was one of the top RB recruits in the nation as a prep star. Injuries have plagued him his entire career but as a short-yardage back, he definitely has potential. Watch out for this guy. He had only 44 rushing yards last year, but might wind up being the Terrell Davis of this decade - a better NFL player than a college player.
  Just for fun prediction: Undrafted, signed by Pittsburgh Steelers, who value hard running up the middle more than outside speed.
• Kelin Johnson, Free Safety - Using Free Safety here isn’t really accurate, because it’s likely his days at FS are over. Most NFL scouts see him as too weak in coverage to play DB at the next level and too thin to play LB. Still, he’s a sure tackler and is tough to block, which means he may find himself on some special teams unit, and I think he could really thrive in that role. He’s a high character guy who should be signed next week.
  Just for fun prediction: Undrafted, signed by Atlanta Falcons, who could use someone involved in the community now that Warrick Dunn has moved on. Plus, the Falcons could use anyone who can tackle right now.
• Chester Adams, Offensive Guard - Adams is off many radars, and he’s not at all ready to play in the NFL, but he is athletic, big, and charismatic, so it’s hard to imagine he won’t catch on somewhere. He was a bit frustrating at times in college (some Georgia fans called him Swiss Cheese, what with all the holes in his blocking), but if he can correct some mechanical flaws, he might wind up being an undrafted steal. There’s potential here.
  Just for fun prediction: Undrafted, signed by Detroit Lions, who value athleticism and size more than football ability.