Steven Turner, wide receiver and special teams ace of the Bishop's Gaiters - has been invited (not signed) to the Bears mini-camp after he didn't get drafted this past weekend.  He also spoke to the Eagles and Colts before settling on the Bears invite.

His stats at CFL Evaluation Camp.  (where he broke or nearly matched almost every record)

40-yard dash: 4.31 seconds
Shuttle run: 4.03 seconds
Vertical: 43.5 inches

2009 Stats: Avg. Punt Return 20.4 yards, 2 TDs

His 40-yard dash time and vertical jump would've placed him second in both events at the NFL combine.

Who doesn't take a 7th round flyer on this kid?!  (Al Davis where you at?) 

Some of the return fun starts at 5:43.

With its new Thursday night slot (er, afternoon for the non-East Coast folks - you guys are always getting a raw deal - NO SUSHI FOR YOU!)  it will be easy for many folks across the country to miss the NFL Draft. 

And THIS ONE will be the one not to miss.

Why is it gonna be the wildest draft ever?! 

1)  It features the Oakland Raiders.  

Yes - expect the unexpected once again.

(and before you spout off that every draft features the Raiders and their crazy "combine-induced" picks of nautical disasterousness, remember they're taking next season off  thanks to that little Richard Seymour trade with the Pats.)

2) Lots and lots of trades.

Multiple teams have lots of picks.  Seattle, San Fran, Denver, Philadelphia.

3) Bill Belichick and the Pats.  

I'm giving you 6 to 5, that he'll flip next year's Raiders pick for a pick THIS year.  Expect more wackiness with the Pats this draft.

4) Most Wanted: Pick #33, Rams 1st Pick of the 2nd Round

1st of the 2nd round on Friday will be a bidding war that will go through the night.  Before this season, you didn't have a WHOLE NIGHT of wheelin' and deelin'.  Perhaps that's when the Pats make their move - maybe it'll be Denver - SOMEONE will make a move for that Rams pick and St. Louis will take the big bushel of picks with Glee.  Everyone knows this - which leads us to.......

5) Pick #30, #31 and Pick #32. 

31 teams will want the Rams pick at #33 but they know (except for one) they won't get it.  Some of the smarter teams will decide, hey if I'm gonna pay through the nose, I'm doing it BEFORE the bidding starts and my guy is gone.  Expect some crazy action on the Vikings, Colts and Saints choices in the bottom three.

6) C. B. A.  

A lot of people complain about the ridiculous prices for unproven talent.  But guess what?  No one complains about the bargain-basement contracts picks get in the bottom half of the first round and the beginning of the second.  Who knows what a new CBA will bring - but teams can LOCK into a player they want now, in a deep draft and get a tremendous contract.  Moving into the late 1st round or 2nd round is almost like playing it safe with all the CBA turbulence ahead and we all know NFL coaches LOVE TO PLAY IT SAFE.  (Except for Coach Payton, who does Super Bowl onside kicks and I bet, peddles his #32 pick into more risk-taking, BASKETT FULL OF GOODIES.

Side Note: The Eagles amongst other teams, have ALWAYS determined that high 2nd round picks are the best in the draft when you offset contract values with player values and have never been hesitant to trade down into the second round.  The pick they got for Donovan?  They prefered it was early second round vs. early first round. 

Eagles Picks - 2nd Round (2009 Base Salary + Bonuses)
2009: LeSean McCoy - ($310k + 1.37 Mil)
2008: Trevor Laws - ($385k + $419k)
2008: DeSean Jackson - ($385k + $398k)
2007: Kevin Kolb - ($460k + $736k)
2007: Victor Abiamiri ($460k + $529k)

Jets' Vernon Gholston ($2.9 Mil + $6.286 Mil= $9.2 Million)

Now Abiarmiri is a solid backup whereas Laws hasn't established himself at all.  Kolb is now the starting QB as is McCoy at RB and we all know how DeSean worked out.  With all the money saved by 1 top of the 1st round bust vs. FIVE 2nd round picks, you can literally afford to overpay for a free agent.

More and more teams are learning, bottom of the 1st, top of the 2nd round is WHERE ITS AT! 

7) Its a deep draft with lots of curious options at QB.

Claussen slipping?  McCoy?  Tebow?  Some intriguing choices plus a lot of teams setup to take a QB they can develop (KC, Philly, SF, Arizona)

So what are you going to see?  Wild trading - maybe some "reaching" and no chance that there will be value picks at the QB position.  Teams will be jockeying around like an auction - wild draft trading WILL ENSUE!


My trade predictions:
1. There will be no movement in the top 4 (the dollars are so insane, these picks almost have negative value)
2. Seahawks will bounce around with their picks.
3. Jaguars will move down out of their 10 slot by any means possible.
4. 49ers may move up with their 13th pick and down with the 17th one.
5. Patriots will move their 2011 Raiders 1st rounder to get a second pick in this draft
6. One (or more) of the Vikings, Colts and Saints will swap out of the bottom of the 1st round.

I also suspect several player trades will go down (in particular with running backs) after Day 1.

Now with all this action, just don't be stuck in traffic getting home to see it. 

(Blatant Plug: CBSSports.com is covering it strong.  Today, we had the NFL team bloggers from FanSided.com do a REAL live mock draft . Of course, we're covering the NFL Draft all weekend - check out our coverage. ) 

A lightpost to a drunk can be supportive and illuminating. 

For a football fan, a mock draft is neither.


But It Is Entertaining!!

Its NFL Draft Time.  So here's the deal.  Give me your SHOCKING pick for the Draft, a real "reach" or someone who drops way below what anyone could expect.  Call it your Morgan State shocker of the NFL Draft.  And the best one (judged by me) may or may not get this Die Cast 1999 Model car.

(may or may not, dot dot dot, lots of legal text not necessary since this is NOT a contest, sweepstakes and sure as heck isn't involved or have anything to do with CBSSports.com.  Just me thinking of awarding this fine tiny automobile, on my own for someone who offers me something brilliant and insightful about the Draft.  FYI - this isn't packaged but it is in great shape!)

My Draft Shocker: #13 - 49ers - Tim Tebow, QB

Here's my shocker.  Tim Tebow, who some experts have in the bottom of the first round - FLIES off the board as the 49ers pull a Raiders type move and snag Tebow with the #13 pick.  Some will be stunned they didn't even wait to their #17 pick (which I think they will peddle into a late 1st and late 2nd round pick.)  Colt McCoy ends up benefiting and sneaks into the bottom of the 1st round.  Tebow is of course, thrilled with his new team and his pick.  The Raiders are highly annoyed the 49ers steal their "What were they thinking?" thunder.

I also expect he WILL be at the Draft since he will have a hunch this is how it may go down.  Its one thing to go fishing when you know your going top 5 but Tebow could go anywhere from 20 to 90.  (Or #13 according to this "expert")

So why do the 49ers do it?

They need a QB and Tebow is EXACTLY the type of hard-nosed, leadership-laden QB that Coach Singletary would fall in love with.  And what if he fails as a QB?  Don't you think Coach would find a way to use the versatile uber-athlete?  He could learn TE, FB or a custom H-Back type position - don't worry the .  But if he IS the franchise quarterback than you may have one FOR THE AGES.  And the 49ers have had a couple of those over the years.  Perhaps the new regime gets torn up and shies away from the controversial pick but if intangibles can bump a draft pick down - can't they also bump one up. 

Tebow at #13!  The Fobeashyi "Shock Lock" of the NFL Draft.

Now - how many of your Florida/SEC/Tebow haters will quickly change your tune if he ends up on your team.  For me, I certainly am no Florida fan but I am dying to see the Eagles draft the former Gators QB and somehow put together a Kolb, Tebow and Vick backfield for just one play.  That would be awesome.  What name would you even call that formation?  Wait - did I just ask that?  Someone call the moderators!!

So send me your "shockers" of the NFL Draft...  and throw some of your "trade down" proposals as well (for bonus credit, I gotta have something else here to giv-aha this will work!)


And where do you think Tebow will go? !

With all the tenders getting signed the last couple of days and trade possibilities - I think this will be the WILDEST draft in ages!!

And yes, this car is THAT sweet!

We are examining the worst free agent signings in all the major sports from the past year.  With the NHL regular season wrapping up and playoff spots being won and lost, its a good time to look who hit the FAIL button last summer with their free agent signings.


So here are the candidates... would you drop any other players in this list?


1)  Calgary's Jay Bouwmeester - 5 years @ $6.6 Million per.

- THREE lousy goals - Calgary misses playoffs (if J-Bow gets 16 instead of 3, they're in)
- leads to a series of disasterous trades (Phaneuf, Jokinen)
- missed playoffs
- may get GM fired


2) Edmonton's Nikolai Khabibulin - 4 years @ $3.75 Million per.

- SEVEN Wins
- 1 DUI charge
- Dead, dead last in the league (missed playoffs)
- another cap-killing, immovable contract (a la Horcoff)
- should get GM fired?


3) Toronto's Phil Kessel (sign/trade) - 5 years @ $5.2 Million per.

- 30 Goals
- Backchecking concept is competely foreign (MINUS 9)
- missed playoffs
- Leafs lose a TOP 3 (or better) 2010 Draft Pick
- Leafs lose 2010 2nd Round Pick
- Leafs lose 2011 1st Round Pick
- may get GM a raise (!)


4) Tampa Bay's Alex Tanguay - 1 year @ $2.5 Million

- 9 Goals, only 6 even strength (yikes)
- missed playoffs
- Plays 16 mins a night with top players and power play time
- Scores 20 and the Bolts may be in the playoffs
- offers little else but scoring (and not much of that)

5) Toronto's Mike Komisarek 5 yrs @ $4.5 Million

- bad penalties, ineffective play, injuries
- 4 points, minus-9 in 34 games
- missed playoffs
- many Montreal fans were stunned he received so much money
- long-term contract at a huge number for a non-offensive defenceman


Select your bust.. or offer up one of your own.

This is starting to get ridiculous.

We all love the heart-warming story of a grizzled senior legend magically finding his game and making an unexpected run at a major tournament.  Tom Watson's storybook ride at Turnberry last year at the British Open, made eventual winner Stewart Cink quip "Even I was rooting for Tom Watson."

So yes, last year was a memorable event and Watson's tremendous play made it unforgettable.  However, after gazing at the leaderboard today at the Masters, this whole old-guy-taking-a run-at-a-major is starting to become almost commonplace.  I mean people were practically PREDICTING 50-year-old Fred Couples would be a contender.  He's 50!  How is it possible for these soon-to-be AARP members and their 10% discounts, to compete with the world's best?  And at one of the most demanding courses in the world?! 

For me it just doesn't compute.

And it looks as if these pre-Internet golf icons are clearly at it again today.  Don't forget then-48 year old Kenny Perry was a major factor last year at Augusta.  Major, as in he almost won it and perhaps should have.  Listen, when Jack Nicklaus at the age of 46, won in 1986, it seemed certain to be a once-a-generation throwback win, the likes of which we wouldn't see for decades.

Now it seems the fountain of youth is being bottled as part of the standard gear for a golfing legend.  3-Iron?  Check.  Lob Wedge? Check.  Bottled Fountain of Youth?  Check.  Bring 2 just in case.  Done.  Ok, let's do this.

Look at the leaderboard today ... Tom Watson, a 67!  Sandy Lyle, Bernard Langer are under par.  And the aforemention Fred Couples, well he's started off in superb fashion as well.  Whatever happened to the good old days where the old people showed up, were outclassed and fired an 86 that made all of us duffers feel good about ourselves. 

(Editors Note: Couples has closed strong and carded a 66! 6 Under!  Lyle finished 3 under par!)

"Tee hee look at Gary Player, he's a like a bear out there - he's great in the woods! < shouting >Hey Gary!  Look for my ball while your there. "< /shouting >
"Dude, you didn't even go into the woods with your shot, your ball is right here."
"I know. But I've always wanted to say that."
"Dude, that is so not cool."

This just says it all: 60 year old Tom Watson shooting a 67!   It doesn't even shock us anymore. 

And that is what I find, well, shocking.

(No Tigers were mentioned or harmed in the crafting of this blurb.)

This is starting to get ridiculous.

We all love the heart-warming story of a grizzled senior legend magically finding his game and making an unexpected run at a major tournament.  Tom Watson's storybook ride at Turnberry last year at the British Open, made eventual winner Stewart Cink quip "Even I was rooting for Tom Watson."

So yes, last year was a memorable event and Watson's tremendous play made it unforgettable.  However, after gazing at the leaderboard today at the Masters, this whole old-guy-taking-a run-at-a-major is starting to become almost commonplace.  I mean people were practically PREDICTING 50-year-old Fred Couples would be a contender.  He's 50!  How is it possible for these soon-to-be AARP members and their 10% discounts, to compete with the world's best?  And at one of the most demanding courses in the world?! 

For me it just doesn't compute.

And it looks as if these pre-Internet golf icons are clearly at it again today.  Don't forget then-48 year old Kenny Perry was a major factor last year at Augusta.  Major, as in he almost won it and perhaps should have.  Listen, when Jack Nicklaus at the age of 46, won in 1986, it seemed certain to be a once-a-generation throwback win, the likes of which we wouldn't see for decades.

Now it seems the fountain of youth is being bottled as part of the standard gear for a golfing legend.  3-Iron?  Check.  Lob Wedge? Check.  Bottled Fountain of Youth?  Check.  Bring 2 just in case.  Done.  Ok, let's do this.

Look at the leaderboard today ... Tom Watson, a 67!  Sandy Lyle, Bernard Langer are under par.  And the aforemention Fred Couples, well he's started off in superb fashion as well.  Whatever happened to the good old days where the old people showed up, were outclassed and fired an 86 that made all of us duffers feel good about ourselves. 

"Tee hee look at Gary Player, he's a like a bear out there - he's great in the woods! < shouting >Hey Gary!  Look for my ball while your there. "< /shouting >
"Dude, you didn't even go into the woods with your shot, your ball is right here."
"I know. But I've always wanted to say that."
"Dude, that is so not cool."

This just says it all: 60 year old Tom Watson shooting a 67!   It doesn't even shock us anymore. 

And that is what I find, well, shocking.

(No Tigers were mentioned or harmed in the crafting of this blurb.)

I know this is jumping the gun but I'm thinking it, so I'm putting it out there.  Could the Dodgers be effectively eliminated from the playoffs today?!

Going 0 and 3 to start the season is a fantastic way to get yourself a 100-loss season.  If you have high hopes for delighted fans and playoff revenue, it is not exactly the best way to go about getting to the postseason.   Of the last 20 teams to go 0 and 3, exactly 1 of them made the post-season.

Can you have a must-win game in the first week of the baseball season?

The Dodgers are in Pittsburgh for Game 3 of their season-opening series.  Last night Joe Torre made the curious decision to not use Jonathan Broxton in an extra-inning loss to the Pirates.  And while panic has not set in quite yet (does Joe Torre ever panic?), the results for teams that start 0 and 3 is near catastrophic - even in the wild-card era. 

The 2003 Atlanta Braves come to mind as a team that started 0 and 3 and rebounded.  Of course, they didn't drop 3 games to the Bucs or be 3 1/2 games behind the rival Giants which could be the case tonight for Los Angeles.  There are dozens of examples of teams that started 0 and 3 and went on to have a disappointing season - these wins (and losses) count the same now as they do in October.  Of course those Braves went out to pile up 101 wins so maybe we've had too much caffeine.  I mean Furcal & Manny look good and Martin went deep but hey these Dodgers are already 2 1/2 games behind - I don't believe they were EVER this far behind last season.

The best way to find out, is not to find out at all and find a way past these pesky Pirates.  It starts with Chad Billingsley, he of the lifetime 7.45 ERA (2 starts) against the Bucs.  The good news?  Paul Maholm is Pittsburgh's answer and he has never beaten the Dodgers in his career. 

Which of the following teams are you willing to write off if they lose tonight? 

Baltimore (0-2, 2 GB)
Washington (0-2, 2 GB)
Chicago Cubs (0-2, 2 GB)
Cincinnati (0-2, 2 GB)
Houston (0-3, 2.5 GB)
LA Dodgers (0-2, 2.5 GB)

And what is the number of losses before your ready to hit the panic button for your team?  3?  6?  10?!

Masters Live

We just enjoyed one of the finest NCAA Tourneys of all time in what may very well have been the farewell song of a 65-team tournament as the NCAA looks toward an expanded 96-team tourney.  And for many of us, we caught a lot of the great action and epic upsets online via March Madness on Demand, affectionately known as 'MMOD'.  Nothing is quite as satisfying as the guilty pleasure of watching sports online during work hours while feverishly trying to hit the Boss Button or trying not to break the office silence with a buzzer-beating scream.  We enjoyed delivering it to you and everyone was a big winner and you made it happen, consuming an incredible 11.7 million hours of online coverage.  When you compare the tape-delayed Vancovuer coverage with the live drama of the tournament, well there is no comparison. 

So what now?  Where is our afternoon fix? 

Well CBS and the Masters have teamed up to provide you live coverage online - MMOD style - and we appropriately call it Masters Live .  Check it out!  On Thursday, we'll have LIVE COVERAGE of Amen Corner and Holes No. 15 & 16 along with Masters Extra, daily highlights, player interviews, historical clips and course flyovers of all 18 holes.   See our broadcast schedule below.

ONE BIG QUESTION:

Will Tiger win?  And if not, who will?!  Give us your prediction..

Some other questions we have:

1. Ernie Els - Is this a career comeback or just a good month?  Is this you stepping up as promised to be the No. 1 Contender to Tiger's throne?!   The winning slump that plagued the Big Easy in '08 and '09 has been smashed, obliterated even, as he heads into this major with two consecutive victories having won the WGC-CA Championship at Doral and the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill a couple weeks later.  Els, now 40, realizes this is an incredible opportunity to add the Green Jacket missing from both his wardrobe and his legacy. 

2. Tiger Woods - Will you be able to change the topic?  Simply put, a win changes everything.  There are 1,000 questions we want answered but only one answer is really needed.  A fifth Masters jacket!  Get it done and that definitely will have people talking about something other than sex and fire hydrants.

3. Crowd Control - How will the "real" crowd react on Thursday or let's say Sunday late-afternoon on the final hole with a putt to win it?  Will someone be the fool and scream?  Will there be some other train wreck this weekend involving the fans?

4a.  Angel Cabrera - Can you find a way to win again?   4b.  Mike Weir - Is this your last chance at a second Green Jacket?

Have you say on The Master's Thread on our Community Pages.


An Epic Matchup?  Ernie Els vs Tiger Woods!

Tale of the Tape
Tiger Woods	Ernie Els
Age: 34	Age: 40
6' 1" (185 lbs)	6' 3" (220 lbs)
Turned Pro: 1996	Turned Pro: 1989
Majors: 14	Majors: 3
Tour wins: 71 PGA, 38 European	Tour wins: 18 PGA, 25 European
Green Jackets: 5	0 (Two 2nd place finishes)
Winning Streak: 1 (Nov 2009)	Winning Streak: 2 (Mar 2010)

 
As promised, here's the broadcast schedule for Master Live online.

Broadcast Schedule
Thursday, April 8
Amen Corner Live	10:45 a.m.-5:45 p.m.
Nos. 15 & 16 Live	11:45 a.m.-5:45 p.m.
Masters Extra	3-4 p.m.
Featured Group	Noon-7:30 p.m.
Friday, April 9
Amen Corner Live	10:45 a.m.-5:45 p.m.
Nos. 15 & 16 Live	11:45 a.m.-5:45 p.m.
Masters Extra	3-4 p.m.
Featured Group	Noon-7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 10
Amen Corner Live	1-7 p.m.
Nos. 15 & 16 Live	1-6:30 p.m.
Masters Extra	2:30-3:30 p.m.
Featured Group	1-7 p.m.
Live coverage on CBS	3:30 p.m.-7 p.m.
Sunday, April 11
Amen Corner Live	1-7 p.m.
Nos. 15 & 16 Live	12:45-6:30 p.m.
Masters Extra	1-2 p.m.
Featured Group	1-7 p.m.
Live coverage on CBS	2-7 p.m.