King signs with the Rams

Wednesday, former Penn State cornerback Justin King signed a three-year deal with the St. Louis Rams. The amount of the deal wasn't released when I heard this, but I imagine it's a nice package. The Rams need all the defense they can get, and with a guy like King, things will only get better.

From the Rams' Web site:

"At 5’10, 192 pounds with speed in the 4.3-4.4 range in the 40-yard dash, King will be expected to compete right away in the secondary, particularly in nickel packages. He also will be asked to work on special teams, perhaps even getting an opportunity as a returner such as he did at times during the team’s May minicamp."

5'10"? Seems Penn State did some fibbing in the height department. I was always under the impression he was just under 6-foot. Oh well, good for King. Let's hope for his sake that the decision to leave early was a good one. Good luck, Justin!

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2008 NFL Draft: The Hangover

That was probably the weirdest draft I've ever watched. My guess is that everyone knew who was going first, had a real strong clue who was second, and the best player in the draft--Darren McFadden--didn't even crack the top three. Penn State only had two players drafted, but this year's episode was a bit more dramatic for the Nittany Lions on the board.

Dan Connor: ZN Pick, Round 1. Actual Pick, Round 3... Wow. That's all you can say. He was the BEST steal of this draft, period. As one reputable Web site said, Connor could have gone in the first round, and no one would have blinked. But he went almost 50 picks later than anyone expected. The best thing he can do now is make all those other teams feel like crap for not drafting him. Like Paul Posluszny before him--before Poz broke his arm--Connor will win the starting job right away and lead the team in tackles.

Justin King: ZN Pick, Round 4. Actual Pick, Round 4... Not bad, not great. He'll get some playing time on special teams, and maybe turn into a good return man. Depending on how the Rams feel about him, he might turn into a dual-threat player. I know it's very rare in this age of the NFL, but throwing King in on a few offensive plays couldn't hurt the Rams.

Anthony Morelli: ZN Pick, Round 6. Actual Pick, Free Agent to the Cardinals... This might work out better than expected for Morelli. There's a great opportunity for him to win the backup. You knew his arm was too much to pass up.

Rodney Kinlaw: ZN Pick, Free Agent. Actual Pick, nothing yet... I hope this kid gets a shot.

Now, on to the 2008 college football season.

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2008 NFL Draft: Penn State's pro prospects and Mock First Round

As part of ZN’s 2008 NFL Draft analysis and projections, here’s a quick rundown of where Penn State’s four pro prospects could end up this weekend. Also included is the “official” ZN mock first round. Now I know nothing about how the NFL franchises pick their players in the draft, nor do I ever care to figure it out. I stick to college. But it’s still fun, so here it goes.

Penn State pro prospects 2008:

Dan Connor: First Round. If he falls to the second round, it will be considered a disappointment for Penn State fans everywhere.

Justin King: Fourth Round. He’ll be a steal at this point. If he goes on the first day, I’ll be shocked. His speed will get him a higher selection than he deserves.

Anthony Morelli: Sixth Round. Don’t get all bent out of shape if Morelli doesn’t go at all in this year’s draft. I know, it’s horrible, but true. His arm should get him a late pick, though.

Rodney Kinlaw: Free Agent. Kinlaw's the kind of player that just needed a chance to prove himself. He might get a chance to do it at the next level, too.

Terrell Golden: Sorry, but he never made an impact on the team other than being captain in 2007. He was a solid contributor for the Nittany Lions and we will all miss him.

Good luck to all who are leaving Happy Valley. Now for the mock first round:

1. Dolphins: Jake Long
2. Rams: Chris Long
3. Falcons: Glenn Dorsey
4. Raiders: Darren McFadden
5. Chiefs: Ryan Clady
6. Jets: Matt Ryan
7. Patriots: Vernon Gholston
8. Ravens: Sedrick Ellis
9. Bengals: Keith Rivers
10. Saints: Mike Jenkins
11. Bills: Devin Thomas
12. Broncos: Branden Albert
13. Panthers: Derrick Harvey
14. Bears: Chris Williams
15. Lions: Dominique Rodgers-Chromartie
16. Cardinals: Leodis McKelvin
17. Chiefs: Limus Sweed
18. Texans: Jonathan Stewart
19. Eagles: Jeff Otah
20. Buccaneers: DeSean Jackson
21. Redskins: Phillip Merling
22. Cowboys: Felix Jones
23. Steelers: Gosder Cherilus
24. Titans: James Hardy
25. Seahawks: Rashard Mendenhall
26. Jaguars: Lawrence Jackson
27. Chargers: Brandon Flowers
28. Cowboys: Aqib Talib
29. 49ers: Dan Connor
30. Packers: Jerod Mayo
31. Giants: Antoine Cason

That’s about as in-depth as I get with this NFL crap. It's still a whole lot of fun, though!

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Article of the day: Mainstream media's analysis is a joke

I generally try to feature an article each day from another site. Usually they're from Penn State or Big Ten blogs, sometimes from other sites. Please check out the author's Web site. I always supply the link in the introduction.

Here's a good one from The Big Eleventh, raising the question we've all asked ourselves at one point or another, "Those guys at Web sites like ESPN, SI and CBS get paid six figures to write that?" This is a two-parter (of sorts) that began yesterday. So, be sure to read it all at The Big Eleventh.

On ESPN.com's analysis of Penn State's recruiting class, thus far:

Penn State: "Unfortunately, the stagnant class could stem from 81-year-old Joe Paterno still hanging in there and not offering the spark often needed to relate to the younger generation of prospects. However, tradition still sells and no one coach in college football represents more tradition than Joe Pa himself."

Big Eleventh says... This is really all a ploy to talk about JoePa's age and, separately, his marketability.

The MSM has reminded us, almost weekly during the season, that Joe is old. They do it again here. Reporters love to comment on how Joe can't "relate to the younger players these days" because it seems to make sense. Problem is, it just isn't true. This years class lacks flash, but just in the last 5 years, off the top of my head, Joe has been able to relate to Connor, Scott, Morelli, Williams and King. All very highly ranked and talked to by dozens of other younger coaches. All chose Penn State. It's not Joe's age that is the problem, it is his style. The problem with saying he's too old is that he has been doing things the same way for 30 years. Almost nothing has changed since his first winning season. His name alone can be enough to win over a recruit, but his style is no longer mainstream and some people just aren't interested. The prospect of waiting 2 or 3 years is becoming more and more of a problem when there are coaches who are willing to plug guys in right away.

As for the marketability comment, I think this guy is on line but his comment is a little misleading. Joe and Graham get along great. Joe likes to coach, and Graham lets him do this. Graham like to make money, and Joe makes this happen. It's never been about football for it's own sake inside Old Main. Each game is really just another fundraising event and if people keep donating regardless of the scoreboard then the scoreboard doesn't matter.

Oh, recruiting, right. We are loaded at linebacker, have a couple of decent RB's out of Ohio, and probably aren't getting Pryor. Ohio State has been to two MNC games in a row and Michigan just landed a very high profile coach...all while we finished our second very average finish in a row. These are our recruiting problems, not old age.

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King going Pro

According to Rivals.com and Scout.com Justin King has decided to skip his final season of eligibility and turn to the NFL. What does this mean for Penn State?

Can Lydell Sargeant step up? He lost his job to AJ Wallace, after getting burned by Ohio State, among others. Now, with Wallace at one corner, will Sargeant get the nod? I don't see any glaring standouts on Penn State's depth chart to take over the empty slot. Knowledge Timmons has a great shot, if he can shmooze Joe Paterno enough. He has blazing speed, and has done well on special teams. Outside of Timmons, though, it's a toss up.

Will the coaching staff move Tony Davis back to corner? Davis was a solid cover man in 2006, and a better tackler than King. His move to safety in 2007 was a questionable call at best, and the jury is still out. His apendectomy clouded any view into his abilities at the position, but with guys like Nick Sukay and Chaz Powell in the lineup, why not put Davis back at his old corner spot?

What if King goes much later than projected? What will that say about Penn State, if King has a bad showing at the combine or on draft day? This program has a good reputation--Curtis Enis, Blair Thomas, Michael Haynes and others aside--for producing solid NFL contributors. But with the recent troubles in recruiting, it would not help to have someone like King become a draft day flop, regardless of what happens during his career.

King finished his Penn State career with 90 tackles, three interceptions, 23 pass breakups, 24 passes defended and a fumble recovery.

Those aren't first-round stats to me. But college quarterbacks stopped throwing his way in a hurry. In the pros, they won't care who he is, and that will be his chance to shine. Come up with a few picks in practice, and he could wind up seeing time early. That is, if he works hard enough.

But who can really blame King for his decision? Granted, I think he needs another season, but not to develop any further, or gain speed and bulk. He needs another season to quiet his critics. Had he come back for his senior season, he would have had the best defensive front since 2005 to work with. That would give him more of an opportunity to play his game. However, can he really develop any further, playing the soft zone on every down? In the NFL, man-coverage is the name of the game, and that's where King belongs. He has to be given the chance to use his speed. Penn State didn't do that.

Good for you, Justin King. Now make Penn State proud.

I'm no expert on how the NFL drafts its players--they don't exactly hit a homerun on every pick. So, here's what CFN had to say:

Justin King, CB Penn State
Projected: 2nd to 3rd round
Good or bad move? Having already graduated, he's ready. After coming to Penn State as a top receiver/defensive back prospect, he moved from offense to defense after his freshman season and became one of

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