Larry Fitzgerald Sr. Doesn't Like Early Doucet

In one of the clumsiest looking plays this NFL season, Arizona Cardinals receiver Early Doucet let a possible game tying touchdown go by the wayside.

  

Wide open Early Doucet stumbles on potential game-tying score


On the game's most critical play, Arizona's Early Doucet makes a blunder he may never forget.

Early Doucet showed on Saturday that there's something more embarrassing than dropping an easy, game-changing touchdown pass while wide open: not even getting a chance to drop an easy, game-changing touchdown pass while wide open.

The Arizona Cardinals wide receiver didn't have a defender within 10 yards of him on a fourth-down pass from John Skelton. All he had to do was go get the lofted throw and the Cardinals would have been an extra point away from tying the Cincinnati Bengals. Doucet didn't get that far though, as he stumbled near the goal line and fell to the ground as the pass bounced incomplete.

At 7-7, Arizona's playoff chances were somewhere between slim and none, so Doucet's tumble wasn't exactly a season-ender. Had he stayed upright, it could have been for Cincinnati though. Now, the Bengals are 8-7 and stand a good chance of winning the AFC's final wild card next weekend.

Larry Fitzgerald Sr. simply thinks Doucet doesn't work hard enough to be an NFL receiver.

“Early Doucet bombed this year he drops to many passes not a dependable No.2. Needs to work harder at his job. He dropped 5 TDs this year,” Larry Fitzgerald Sr. wrote on Twitter.

Senior went on to talk to Mike Sando of ESPN.com, saying that Junior invited Doucet to work out during the lockout and Doucet declined. 

“I just know that Larry invited him to come and work out with him this summer and some guys take initiative and do it, some guys don’t,” Fitzgerald Sr. said. “But with the lockout, I thought he would have worked on it a little harder. That is me. People criticize me because they think I talk too much. That is just how I see it.”


“I wasn’t picking on him,” Fitzgerald Sr. said. “I track when he drops the ball in critical situations. They use Larry the way they are going to use him, so they know others are going to be singled [in coverage]. The Ravens game, he dropped one on the goal line. I remember other games. Now that they’re out of the playoffs, I’m putting it out there.”

Talk about a biased opinion. If you're not picking on Doucet then what are you doing? He might as well have called out the rest of the Cardinals receiving corps while he was throwing Doucet under the bus.

Can you imagine the conversation between Fitzgerald Jr. and Doucet. Awkward.

Jake Heaps To Join Weis And Crist At Kansas

It looks like the Kansas football team is beginning to look like a personal redemption team. Former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis signed on to get the Jayhawks back on track. His former prized recruit Dayne Crist transferred to Kansas to restore hi once lofty status as a future college star.

Jake Heaps was a big time collegiate prospect coming out of high school. He signed with BYU and was thought of the future of the program. Heaps was the No. 1 pro-style quarterback in the 2010 class. However he lost the starting quarterback job to Riley Nelson this season and decided to transfer out of town.

Heaps will now join Weis and Crist at Kansas.Heaps will have to sit out next season due to NCAA transfer rules. Starting in 2013, he will have two years of eligibility.

So Weis will have two highly touted quarterback recruits to lead the way in Lawrence for a massive rebuilding project and two players that will have a chance to redeem themsleves and live up to their lofty prep status.  

Barry Sanders Is Not A Fan Of The Lions' Mock Draft

Recently ESPN's Todd McShay put together a mock draft of the 2012 NFL Draft. It had the Detroit Lions picking in the 25th slot.

Keep in mind in the Lions have drafted pretty well of late, but also have taken two running backs in Jahvid Best (2010) and Mikel Leshoure (2011). Conventional wisdom says the Lions would take an offensive lineman, defensive back, or linebacker. Not according to McShay. In his first mock draft scenario he had the Lions picking Virginia Tech running back David Wilson. And Lions great Barry Sanders didn't seem too happy about it.

This came from the Detroit Free Press.

None other than Barry Sanders saw our tweet about the Lions mock draft Thursday -- in which ESPN's Todd McShay has them taking Virginia Tech running back David Wilson -- and tweeted back “Will they ever take an O - Lineman???”


Sense any residual bitterness there?


He then added, “I am sort of biased... but would help (Matthew Stafford) and (Calvin Johnson) too. To be fair, (the Lions’) recent drafts have been solid.”

I don't know what it is but the Lions always seem to be reluctant to take an offensive lineman in the first round or draft based on their needs. We'll see what happens in April. Hopefully it's not a running back. It'll look like the ghost of Matt Millen is looming over Lions headquarters. Remember the run of wide receivers. 

Could Jurrjens Come Back To Detroit?

When the Detroit Tigers traded pitcher Jair Jurrjens and outfielder Gorkys Hernandez to the Atlanta Braves for shortstop Edgar Renteria it soon became one of the more regrettable Tigers trades in recent memory.


Although Hernandez really never panned out, Jurrjens certainly went on to become a nice addition for the Braves while Renteria continued to age and prove why he wasn’t a player for the American League.

But could the Tigers undo the wrong so to speak and bring Jurrjens back?

According to Jon Heyman, Jair Jurrjens has drawn some interest from the Orioles, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Rockies, Rangers and Tigers.

As expected there is going to be plenty of interest if Jurrjens is put on the block however there are some injury concerns with Jurrjens. He missed the end of last season with a knee injury which in some ways has placed him behind Oakland starter Gio Gonzalez in the pecking order for teams pursuing starting pitching. Jurrjens though has shown he is a pitcher that can compete in the majors.

With Gonzalez headed to the Washington Nationals it could be a possibility. A slight one, but still a possibility.

It is believed that Atlanta may shop the young right hander Jurrjens given the large supply of pitching talent the Braves currently have and the current need of offensive help.

Would this be another situation in which the Tigers and Braves start talking trade and could outfielder Delmon Young be in the mix yet again?

Dez Bryant's Unique Choice Of Clothing

Before a Wednesday media session, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, Dez Bryant, was seen wearing a pretty odd piece of clothing. He wore a Nike T-shirt that read "Lazy But Talented".    

An odd choice of clothing, considering that the mildly talented receiver has bee criticized about his work ethic since entering the NFL. If Bryant wants to be taken seriously and regarded as one of the elite receivers in the game, he needs to get rid of that kind of attitude.

Denard Robinson Seeks NFL Advice

Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson has asked the NFL Draft advisory board for information on where he would get drafted if he entered the 2012 NFL Draft.

From ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg:

I also asked "Shoelace" whether or not he had submitted paperwork to the NFL draft advisory board.


"I did," Robinson said, "but we'll see what happens."


Asked if he's planning to return to Michigan in 2012, Robinson said, "most likely, yes."

Breathe easy Michigan fans that doesn't mean he plans on leaving. He just submitted paperwork to get a feel on where he would land if he decided to leave school. Robinson is one of the most dynamic playmakers in college football today, but right now his skills do not translate to playing quarterback in the NFL.

Cool down Tebow-breath. Just because Tim Tebow's skills alledgedly did not translate to the league and has done ok doesn't mean Robinson's will. For all his playmaking skills, Robinson has a long way to go before he's thought of as a legitimate NFL quarterback prospect.

Robinson does have a year under his belt in offensive coordinator Al Borges' pro style system so that should help him as he progresses to the 2012-13 season.

"A year under my belt is going to help me a lot," Robinson said. "I think I can do some special things next year."     

Another year will help him, but whether that makes scouts see him more than a slot receiver or return man remains to be seen.

Monta Ellis Being Sued For Sexual Harrssment

In a report courtesy of the Contra Costa Times, Golden State Warriors guard Monta Ellis and the organization are being sued for sexual harassment by a former employee. There isn't too much to go on right now and there should be much more known about the case after Wednesday's press conference.

According to an email from the Law Offices of Burton F. Boltuch, the plaintiff will file the suit Wednesday morning in Oakland at the Superior Court of Alameda County. Afterward, a press conference will be held to discuss the allegations.



According to Boltuch, the plaintiff is accusing Ellis of sexually harassing her from November 2010 to January 2011. The accuser, according to Boltuch, has photo evidence of the harrassment, which he claims was sent from Ellis’ cell phone to the plaintiff.


The photo will be revealed – along with the identity of the accuser – at the press conference, Boltuch said.


“You will be shocked when you see it,” Boltuch said. “It’s pretty disgusting and graphic.”


Boltuch also said that his client was "terminated" because the Warriors were trying to cover up for Ellis.

After tomorrow we'll know a lot more about this case.