It’s no secret that we’re Marcus Monk fans here at Razorback Expats, and our entire staff is rooting for him to carve out a decent NFL career after what he gave up to return to Arkansas for his senior year.

Although anyone picked in the late 7th round usually faces long odds in actually making the team, Monk has already impressed some people during his time with the Chicago Bears. The Windy City Gridiron blog quotes a profootballweekly.com article, saying “Monk, meanwhile, caught everything in sight from the get-go, according to one close observer. ‘He could be a serious sleeper. He doesn’t have a lot of speed, but his size (6-4, 222) and hands could make him a real red-zone weapon.’”

My favorite link is this thread on a Bears message board in which a group of Chicago superfans try to one up each other with Monk-related superlatives. It’s all a little tongue-in-cheek, to be sure, but is a fun read nonetheless…definitely check it out.

Getting back to reality, though, Blog Down notes that most NFL teams carry six receivers on their roster and the Bears currently have eight. And this article from today’s Chicago Tribune examines the fates of the Bears’ second-day draft choices and barely gives Monk a mention.

What happens next? Our intrepid team of investigators is on the case, so we’ll keep you posted. Stay tuned…

• Forward Michael Sanchez, who redshirted last season and will be a freshman this fall, is starting and playing pretty solid ball for a team of college players that is touring China. Who knows what the competition is really like - and it’s not like Sanchez is setting the world on fire - but it’s got to be good for him to get a chance to shake off the rust.

• Why does John McDonnell hate America?

• Check out ArkansasSports360.com for a funny take on the latest episode in the long-running “Razorbacks in Jail” saga. And once you get to that page, be sure and click on the Corey Beck link. If you do, you’ll notice that Corey is tipping the scales at nearly 270 pounds these days! We shudder to think what his good friend and Expat fav Dwight Stewart now weighs.

• Harry King examines what the Atlanta Falcons’ signing of draftee Matt Ryan means for Darren McFadden as well as the short life expectancy of NFL running backs.

• In honor of the NBA playoffs, we present this pop quiz: Name the four former Razorbacks who have won NBA championships. First one with the correct answer wins an all-expenses-paid trip to the beautiful Sandals Grande Antigua resort.*

(* - not true)

As America’s favorite non-sporting sporting event, the NFL Draft certainly receives a lot of coverage. And, with six players drafted the Hogs were a major factor this year. Here are some links I’ve been saving up:

* Probably the best thing I read after the draft was this interview with Felix Jones. He landed in a great situation and sounds incredibly excited about it…he refers to it as “a dream come true” three times in a short span. Here’s a good quote on how he happy he is to be a Cowboy:
It will be an honor. I know that for sure. That star represents a lot. That is something I am going to wear and play my best and I am just happy now that I am getting a chance to put it on. This is a dream come true for me. 

* Of course, there are always naysayers and Arkansas Sports 360 reminds us that some folks in Dallas aren’t too happy about Felix being their first round draft pick. (editor’s note: Why??)

* On the flip side of that argument, SI’s Don Banks has the full story on why Jerry Jones went with Felix and ESPN’s John Clayton praises the choice.

* Surely you’ve been wondering what Warren Sapp thinks about D-Mac going to the Raiders. Well, wonder no more…according to this interview with Michael Silver, he wholeheartedly approves, calling the match “a perfect fit”.

* More from Don Banks: he pegs the McFadden vs Bush vs Fargas running back situation in Oakland as one of the top training camp battles to watch.

* Several undrafted Razorbacks were invited to various training camps. Tom Murphy has the latest on Robert Felton, Michael Grant, Matteral Richardson, Weston Dacus and more.

* What does Wally think about all this? Here’s his breakdown of the draft.

The NFL Draft is almost upon us, and like my Expat counterpart, I generally find it to be one of the most ridiculous events on the yearly sporting calendar. If we could only apply the same level of intense analysis and attention to detail to some of our thornier national problems as we do the draft I’m sure things would be in much better shape right now.

But, I digress. Despite my cynicism I’m actually pretty excited about this year’s draft because of all the ex-Hogs who will factor in the mix. Here’s a quick look at how last year’s “Big Four” might fare:

* Darren McFadden. Naturally there are haters who prefer to obsess about his skinny calves rather than him blowing up the SEC for three years, but the general consensus is that he’s the top talent in the draft. However, most of the teams picking first don’t need a running back, so his future team is still very much in doubt. Earlier this week I was fretting about him going to the Raiders, but the latest buzz has him going to the Jets, who seem to be very interested in D-Dawg.

* Felix Jones. The “experts” are telling us that Felix is a late first round pick, which wouldn’t be too shabby at all. No one really knows anything, of course, but multiple mock drafts have him going to Dallas. That would seem to be a good on-the-field place for him to be, but he would be well-advised to decline any invitations to go strip clubbing with the team’s newest cornerback.

* Peyton Hillis. In a classic example of the type of overthinking that permeates most draft coverage, the word is that Peyton’s stock is dropping because he had a rough workout at the Scouting Combine in February. Only in the world of the NFL Draft would one bad day at a practice facility overrule the fact that he was money on the field for four years, but nonetheless he’ll be a solid middle round pick for someone.

* Marcus Monk. Surely every Hog fan is pulling for him after the year he’s had…passing up a solid NFL future to return for his senior year, getting seriously injured during preseason practice and then having a less impactful than hoped return to the field late in the season. The good news is that he performed well at the Scouting Combine and Pro Day and his stock is back on the rise. He won’t be a top round pick (like he might have been last year), but his future is much brighter than it seemed a few months ago.

Courtesy of Max Brantley’s Arkansas Blog, we came across this Sports Illustrated article about Darren McFadden’s efforts to address the concerns NFL franchises have about his off-field issues, such as his involvement in two bar fights. D-Mac’s strategy in short: straight talk.

We’ll highlight the same passage that Brantley did:

“Deserved or not, McFadden had an image problem. His team of advisers — including former Olympic track star Mike Conley Sr. (marketing), Ian Greengross (contracts), Mike Vick (financial planning; no relation to the quarterback of the same name) and Frank Shaw and David Cornwell (legal counsel) — decided to confront it head-on. They told McFadden to be open and honest in interviews with teams and media. Does he have a brother who used to be a Crip? Yes. And another who was a Blood. One brother is in prison for a drug-related offense, and another served five years for possession of crack with intent to distribute. McFadden spoke frankly as well about paternity questions he has faced recently and said he would accept responsibility for two children who may be his.”

Sounds like a good plan: When a string of bar brawls and paternity suits threatened to sully the Expat name a few years back, we rehabbed our image by following much the same strategy.

It seems that the Oakland Raiders management (i.e. owner Al Davis…everyone else there is irrelevant) was unswayed by my diatribe against the team last week, as they are considered the most likely team to pick Darren McFadden in this weekend’s NFL Draft.

The fact that the Raiders had the 6th best rushing game in the NFL last year and have pressing needs at almost every position BUT running back doesn’t matter much, writes the San Francisco Chronicle’s David White. For anyone wondering why I’m so down on Oakland (the team), his article only scratches the surface of the insanity but still gives a pretty nice overview.

White’s article also provides a handy breakdown at the various draftniks’ (I love/hate that word) guesses at who the Raiders will take. Interesting stuff:

Pundit / Pick
Mel Kiper, ESPN / RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas
Todd McShay, Scouts Inc / McFadden
Mike Mayock, NFL.com / DE Vernon Gholston, Ohio St.
Vic Carucci, NFL.com / McFadden
Pat Kirwan, NFL.com / Gholston
The Sports Xchange / DT Glenn Dorsey, LSU
Profootballtalk.com / McFadden
NFLdraftcountdown.com / McFadden
Draftinsiders.com / McFadden
Sporting News / OT Ryan Clady, Boise State
NFL Draft Scout / McFadden
Don Banks, SI.com / McFadden
Mike Lombardi, NFL Network / Gholston

* Bye-Bye Beverley? - That’s the jarring headline of Brandon Marcello’s latest Slophouse blog entry. According to the post, Patrick has been making some comments on his Facebook page that could lead some to believe that he won’t be with the Hogs next season, including “I’m leaving.” Apparently, though, the page doesn’t make it clear exactly what he will be leaving. But … Marcello says he ran into Patrick at this weekend’s Real Deal on the Hill AAU Tournament, and Beverley wouldn’t comment on the matter. That doesn’t sound good.

* More Hoops News: Pelphrey continues to add to his 2008 recruiting class by inking 6-7 forward John Henry, who played high school ball in West Memphis and spent last season at Cincinnati Harmony Prep School. And, scroll down about halfway through this story, and you’ll see that the Hogs could also add 6-5 shooting guard Nick Williams of Mobile, Ala., this week. He might come in extra handy if indeed Patrick decides to take his act elsewhere.

* Draft Talk: Next Saturday marks the arrival of what I find to be the sporting world’s most obnoxious event: the NFL Draft. I usually avoid this like the plague. This year, however, there are two obvious reasons to tune in: McFadden and Jones, and I’m sure that a hefty percentage of this week’s postings will deal with speculation concerning the two. Here’s some material that’s sure to be a conversation starter: Fox NFL Analyst Brian Baldinger is no fan of D-Mac:

“I think he’s the colossal bust in this draft. He doesn’t run with patience. He’s a very incomplete back who tries to run you over. If he gets a crease, he can take it to the house. But he doesn’t break tackles and he fumbles. I’m not impressed.”

And add this unnamed scout to the list of those not overly enamored with No. 5:

“I can’t believe how skinny his calves and his shins are. It’s almost scary. It’s like a skinny wide receiver. At the running back position, you want a guy who’s a little wider on his base. is built on top, but he’s got a very skinny base. I think that’s a little bit of a concern.”

* Practice Makes Perfect - To stay on top of the football team’s spring practice, be sure to check out the Razorbloggers’ top-notch and highly detailed daily reports.

* I’m in Charge Here - Houston Nutt is back to doing what many Razorback fans think he does worst: calling plays.

By the end of next week, Darren McFadden is going to be the richest man in the world with “Arkansas Bred” tattooed on his abs (until I win the lottery, at least). But the big question is, which team will draft him?

A lot of mock drafts have him going to the Oakland Raiders, who have the fourth overall pick. On that subject, allow me to say this directly to Mr. McFadden:

D-Dawg, I live in Oakland. It gets a bad rap, but it’s actually a really nice place (as long as you stay out of the deadlier areas). It’s got great year-round weather, a thriving arts and music scene, a diverse community, good restaurants, nice neighborhoods, etc. But, I have to ask to you to do whatever you can NOT to get drafted by the Raiders.

I read on your blog how you had a good visit with the team recently. That’s cool, but trust me on this - that organization is the worst one in professional sports. It’s where promising careers go to die. So, as much as I’d like to be able to invite you over for weekend BBQs and the like, I think it’s in your best interest to play elsewhere. I promise you, the ridiculous dramas they have here make anything you went through with Houston Nutt seem as small potatoes as our nonconference schedule last year.

So please, even if Al Davis acts nice and backs up the money truck, use that 4.33 speed to run the other way. Tell him you’re going to be hanging out every shady piano bar in town. Do what you have to do. You’ll be glad you did.

Thanks,
John

P.S. You’re still invited over for BBQs whenever your future team plays the Raiders, of course.

* Overall, you’d have to say that Wally’s column from today wasn’t too bad, particularly by his standards. Still, get a load of this groaner: “[Stan Heath’s] sideline de-meanor bothered a lot of the fans because he seemed docile. Pelphrey is quite different. The more mistakes the players make, mental or physical, demeanor he got.”

* John Brummett gets all huffy about Arkansans booing the Texas Longhorns in Alltel Arena this past weekend, and ArkansasSports360.com’s Jim Harris, who recently stopped by this site for a visit, says that Brummett could use some history lessons.

* For the “Sun Rises in the East” file: A Razorback football player has a brush with the law.

* For the “Good News” file: Marcus Monk appears to have improved his draft stock.

* Sweet (New) Home Chicago? Bears coach Lovie Smith recently lunched with former Hog running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones.

* Quick Programming Note: With the basketball season just completed and the new football season still a few months off, posting may be a bit slower than usual here at RazorbackExpats.com - at least for the next few weeks or so, as we take a little time to pause and catch our breath. But, we have an active spring and summer planned - with the unveiling of the RazorbackExpats Hall of Fame and more Q&A’s with various Hog heroes on the schedule - so check back often.

The NFL Draft Combine (also known as the annual opportunity for GM’s to let 40-yd dash times and bench press amounts overrule evidence from, you know, real football games) was held over the weekend, and D-Mac fans will be pleased (but not surprised) to know that he did very, very well.

Here’s an excerpt from what ESPN’s Todd McShay had to say:
“Arkansas RB Darren McFadden made a statement with his sensational combine workout on Sunday. McFadden officially ran his first 40-yard dash — the faster of his two attempts — in 4.33 seconds. In addition, he jumped 10 feet, 8 inches in the broad jump and 33 inches in the vertical leap. Comparatively speaking, McFadden’s overall workout was stronger than Adrian Peterson’s a year ago, which included 40 time of 4.41, a 10-7 broad jump and a 38.5-inch vertical.”

And here’s a report from SI.com’s Don Banks:
“Arkansas running back Darren McFadden had a superb Sunday and did nothing but strengthen his case for being the premier prospect in the 2008 draft. He did far more than just run well, although his 4.33 time in the 40-yard dash was eye-opening enough (early reports had him as quick as 4.27, but those proved too inaccurate).

McFadden competed superbly in all facets of his workout, and showed himself to be a complete package. He wasn’t just a sprinter showing off his great straight line speed on the playing surface of the RCA Dome. He caught the ball well, showed great explosiveness in everything he did, and impressed scouts with his enthusiasm and approach to his work.

While McFadden still may not go in the draft’s top three due to the needs of the team picking up high, he showed himself to be an elite athlete who like Peterson last year may linger on the board longer than he deserves to.”

But, as the San Francisco Chronicle’s Nancy Gay reminds us, there are some “character questions” surrounding #5:
“The two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up was asked about his off-field activities, among them a broken toe following a fight outside a piano bar in downtown Little Rock, Ark., in July 2006. McFadden was handcuffed briefly following that incident.‘I know I put myself in a bad situation I shouldn’t have been in,” said McFadden, another player in whom the Raiders have shown interest with their No. 4 overall pick, “and I take full responsibility for it.’“

Overall, though, it was a great (and money-making) weekend for D-Mac. Seems like, contrary to some earlier reports, he just might be able to cut it in the NFL after all.