Nothing confirmed or proven. And honestly a little strange, but take this one for what it is worth.
On New Year’s Day we reported that Pittsburgh running back LeSean McCoy was leaning towards entering the draft despite public statements to the contrary. Yesterday Panthers head coach Dave Wannstedt said he believed McCoy would return.
We now believe we know the reason why.
Sources from inside the league have told us McCoy received his evaluation from the league today and was told by the advisory committee he would not be selected in the first three rounds of April’s draft if he enters the event. It will be shocking to some yet not others who feel McCoy really does not have the makings of a feature runner at this time.
I have no sense as to the voracity of this. I’m too biased to be fair, but I have a hard time believing McCoy would not be a first or at worst early-second round pick. This is not some RB in a spread or running in the MAC.
Then there is this one, via Jon from Bleed Scarlet on USC WR Vidal Hazelton looking to transfer.
Hazelton’s current list of schools includes Pittsburgh and several Football Championship Subdivision schools (Western Michigan, Florida International, Georgia Southern).
If he transfers to a lower-division school, Hazelton will be granted instant eligibility.
“The option is whether he wants to play immediately or sit out for one year,” said Hazelton’s father, Dexter Hazelton. “I’d like him to stay closer to home.”
Two weeks ago, Hazelton narrowed his choices to Missouri and Rutgers but his father said they decided to reconsider their options. “I think (Missouri and Rutgers) are out,” Dexter Hazelton said.
Two other possibilities are Syracuse and Delaware. Hazelton is friends with former Penn State quarterback Pat Devlin, who recently transferred to Delaware.
“He’s contemplating hard about going I-AA,” Dexter Hazelton said. “He probably make a decision by end of the this week.”
Hazelton — who is from New York — recently learned that his grandfather has been diagnosed with cancer. The junior has been rumored to be a possible transfer since early this season. He suffered an ankle injury that sidelined him for several weeks and was actually interested in redshirting. He was not, but also found himself buried on the depth chart. He basically said he was transferring because of a combination of reasons which included a rift with Hazelton and the OC.
He seems more likely in my mind to go to Delaware and play right away. I just don’t see him coming to Pitt. I mean, has he seen Pitt’s passing offense? He’s got the talent to move to the top of Pitt’s depth chart — so I doubt the depth at the position would bother him.
I just don’t see it, and frankly Pitt has other needs than taking another WR who would have to sit next year and would only have one year of eligibility.
This doesn’t mean he won’t have a great Pro Career. His size, speed, moves, and vision all point to 1st to 2nd round. He is fantastic on the outside.
Fumbling and inability to grind yards inside between the tackles and simple maturity. He’s 20. Causes him to drop. There is risk with him being good right away.
Is he better than Slaton, Mendenhal, Chris Johnson, or Johnathon Stewart?
At times Yes to all.
If your a pro team and can get him past the 4th round. What a freaking steal!
Jon only pointed the article out to me. He didn’t write it with the errors.
“Yeah, I would have gone [to Pitt]. That’s a great program, coach Dixon is a great coach, and that would have been a good opportunity for me, too. I didn’t want to stay in L.A.””
MCCOY TO DECLARE FOR THE NFL DRAFT
This is a tough yr to come out and the NFL scouts know only too well that RBs in their league are almost interchangeable. They don’t want to waste many 1st and 2nd RD picks on that position with so many “no-name” backs putting up big numbers around the league.
If Shady’s ready to go, he should go, but he should recognize that there aren’t too many 200lb tailbacks getting big bonuses and salaries these days. I think he’s headed for being a change-of-pace back because guys his size can’t take more than a yr or two of 20+ carries a game between the tackles in the NFL. Look at the wear on Willie Parker……