Lannan Wants Out

Just one day after the Nationals designated pitcher John Lannan for AAA Syracuse, the disgruntled pitcher informed the franchise via email that he wants out.

On Wednesday, the Nationals made a somewhat shocking move when they made Ross Detwiler the fifth man in the starting rotation and sent Lannan to the minors.

During Spring Training, the Nationals tried to trade Lannan in an attempt to acquire a starting center fielder. GM Mike Rizzo stated that he hoped to get a decent package of prospects for the 27 year old left hander. Rizzo, however, never found a deal that he deemed good enough to make the trade.

A report earlier stated that the Nationals tried some 20 teams when they were shopping Lannan and not one of those teams would offer enough for the often inconsistent Lannan. Today, Nats manager Davey Johnson stated that he still wants Lannan to be part of the organization.

At just 27, Lannan still has a number of years left in him. Last time the Nationals sent him down to the minors he returned to the big league better than before. Maybe this is exactly what he needs.

One-on-One: Jayah Kaisamba

(Photo:guhoyas.com)

Jayah Kaisamba has played defensive back for the Georgetown Hoyas since his freshman year in 2008. In each of his four seasons, he played in at least ten games.

Throughout his four year career, Kaisamba recorded 170.5 tackles with five forced fumbles. He also totaled 17 pass break-ups, 24 passes defensed, and seven interceptions.

After his junior year, he was First Team All Patriot League and was also named to the ECAC Division I FCS First Team. Kaisamba was also an ECAC All Star. That year, Kaisamba recorded 59.5 tackles, six pass break-ups, 11 passes defensed, and 5 interceptions.

Your junior year you were named an ECAC All Star, what does that accomplishment mean to you?
"It meant a lot to me but it also is a credit to my secondary coach, Robert Sgarlata. We had set some high standards and goals that we had wanted to achieve as a secondary and we were able to make incredible strides from my sophomore year to my junior year. It really showed the hard work that the team and myself did to improve from a season in which we won no games."

What is your favorite memory you have of playing at Georgetown?
"My favorite memory of playing at Georgetown is when we beat Lafayette University my junior year. We were down 21-7 in the second quarter and came back to win 28-24 when I picked off a pass on our own 3-yard line to seal the victory with one minute left. It was a great team victory and a testament to the hard work and four quarters of play we put together. Also, it was great because it was Georgetown's first league win since I had been there."

If a scout were to ask you what your best quality is, what would be your answer?
"I would say that off the field my best quality is my preparation. I love to watch film and breakdown tendencies of my opponent. On the field I would say my best quality is my ability to play press man, in combination with reading receivers and upper body I know it can translate that especially to the next level."

What is one thing you do that sets you apart from the rest of the DBs in the draft this year?
"I believe that the one thing that sets me apart from other DBs in this year's draft is my combination of strength and speed. There aren't too many corners that are both really strong and fast, but I think I have one of the best combinations of that as compared to those in recent year's class and it translates to my performance on the field."

What is one aspect of your game that you feel you could improve on? What have you been doing to improve on that?
"One aspect as a corner that you are always trying to work on is your hip fluidity and quickness. Having great and smooth hips helps in your transitions and with receivers being so quick you need to be able to react to their breaks and movements. I have been putting a much greater emphasis in stretching on a daily basis and doing hip exercises to increase my flexibility which also translates to being a faster player."

What have you been doing to prepare for draft and impress scouts?
"I went to the NFL Baltimore Regional Combine and also to the Beyond Sports Network Showcase in Akron, Ohio. I had a leg injury at the Regional Combine so I wasn't satisfied with my performance there but at the BSN Showcase ready and healthy I had a career day at the combine. I had also been invited to a Winnipeg tryout in Dallas but because of some circumstances out of my control I was not able to attend."

What are you most looking forward to about playing at the next level?
"The thing I look forward to most in playing at the next level is the opportunity to play against my sports heroes and legends and to prove to them and myself that I deserve to be playing and performing at a high level with them. It is an exciting time in my life and I just look forward to putting 110% into whoever gives me that opportunity."

When watching Jayah Kaisamba on film, you can't help but be impressed with his ability. His speed and ability to close is uncanny. He can easily make up five steps while the ball is in the air. He does a great job at making a play on the ball and not on the receiver. He is aggressive and has soft hands. His aggressiveness could get him into trouble. Over aggressive players run a high risk biting on fakes.

Kaisamba's numbers at the Akron combine were impressive. He ran a 4.42 40 yard dash and a 4.13 on the 5-10-5 shuttle run. He had a vertical jump of 40.5" and bench pressed 225 pounds 23 times.

Nats Send Down Lannan

(Photo: thebestbaseballblog.com)

Yesterday, the Nationals made the final, and most surprising, move to get down to the 25-man Opening Day roster.

The Nationals had six starting pitchers at the beginning of the day and needed to send one down to the minors in order to have their five locked in. The choice came down to John Lannan and Ross Detwiler. Just last week, Nationals manager Davey Johnson had claimed that Lannan "was [his] guy."

That all changed. The Nationals have since sent Lannan down to AAA Syracuse in favor of Detwiler.

Throughout the spring, Detwiler has out-performed Lannan. He posted a 3.06 ERA and Lannan posted a less than impressive 5.14 ERA.

As stated in an article on the Nationals website, Lannan also had a minor league option left on his contract. Knowing that, the choice was easy for Johnson and general manager Mike Rizzo.

The final spot in the rotation was opened up once Chien-Ming Wang had to be placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a hamstring injury.

Two years ago, Lannan was known as the Nationals ace pitcher and you could find him on the cover of the gameday program that they hand out at the gates. Now-a-days, you commonly find him as one of the free baseball cards that are given out in the centerfold of the program.

Earlier this spring the Nationals put Lannan on the trade block in hopes of getting a centerfielder. The asking price was too high, however, so the market for Lannan was fairly small and the Nationals never reached a deal with anyone.

The Nationals recent off-season signings really didn't help his cause, either. The returns of Stephen Strasburg and Chien-Ming Wang and the signings of Gio Gonzalez and Edwin Jackson have bumped Lannan down to the low-man on the rotation.

Lannan is still available for trade. The Nationals are most likely looking for the next great centerfielder and I wouldn't be surprised if he was involved in a trade to get one.

NFL Draft Breakdown: Tight Ends

Coby Fleener, above, really impressed scouts at his pro day. (Photo: sbnation.com)

Today, I will be analyzing the top three tightends in this years draft. Like usual, the depth at the tight end position is not that great. This year, however, it is unclear as to whether or not there will be one taken in the first round. Much like the tight ends and running backs, the top prospect is virtually in a class of his own.

Coby Fleener (Stanford)
In his senior season for the Cardinal, Fleener had 34 receptions for 667 yards and 10 touchdowns. Standing at 6-6 and weighing 240 pounds, Fleener is a pretty good sized tight end.

When watching Fleener on film, I am amazed by his speed and agility. He does not run like a traditional tight end. He cuts in and out of his routes like that of a tight end. He can really stretch the field with his ability to run and cut. His unofficial 37 inch vertical is also an added bonus. He has the ability to go up and over cornerbacks with ease thanks to this. He is also physical with his hands at the line to get open.

At just 240, Fleener might get pushed around when he is blocking for a running back. Whoever drafts Fleener would get the most out of him at the slot position. I picture him being more like a Gronkowski in the NFL.

Orson Charles (Georgia)
At 6-3 and weighing 241 pounds, the Bulldog is not as big as Fleener. He caught 45 balls for 574 yards and five touchdowns.

Personally, I don't see Charles drafted until the third round. When watching him on film, I don't really see anything that wows me. Some positives that I saw were his feet. When running his routes, he breaks clean and has the ability to leave linebackers spinning in the open field. He also does a decent job at finding the hole in the zone. He knows where to go and where to sit in order to be in the sweet spot for the quarterback.

Charles isn't going to be the teams best blocker. When gets beat, he essentially gives up. At times he blocks right into the ball carrier. His feet are almost too crisp for himself to handle. He falls down during a route. He also has a tendency to drop one or two throughout the course of the game.

Dwayne Allen (Clemson)
Standing at 6-4 and weighing in at 255 pounds, Allen is the heaviest of these three. This past season for the Tigers, he had 50 receptions for 598 yards and eight touchdowns.

Simply put, Allen is a big and physical tight end. When he is running his routes he really plants hard on his outside foot when cutting. He goes up and grabs the ball at it's highest point. He doesn't just catch the ball, he grabs it. Drops are not really a problem with him. He has sure hands and you can tell that the quarterback feels confident when throwing him the ball.

Blocking is an issue with him. He rises up after contact and doesn't do a very good job of running his feet after the initial hit. He needs to stay low and power through the guy he's blocking. NFL defensive ends will run right through him if he rises up.

I would not expect any of these three tight ends to be taken in the first round of the draft. While they all posses the skills they need to be great receiving tight ends, they all lack the ability to block. Look for all three of these guys to be taken off the board by the time the fifth round rolls around.

Nationals Make Moves

The Washington Nationals announced today that outfielders Michael Morse and Rick Ankiel will begin the season on the 15-day disabled list. Since those two will not be on the Opening Day game roster, Chad Tracy and Xavier Nady will be on the bench for Opening Day.

Michael Morse has been sidelined for much of spring due to a strained lat muscle. Rick Ankiel has also missed some time because of discomfort in his quads.

Chad Tracy has played well at the corners for the Nationals and Xavier Nady has played well in the outfield. Neither are expected to start, however.

According to Mark Zuckerman of CSN Washington, four other players are expected to start the season on the DL. Pitchers Drew Storen (elbow inflammation), Chien-Ming Wang (hamstring strain), and Cole Kimball (shoulder surgery) are all expected to start on the DL. First baseman Chris Marrero (hamstring surgery) will also start on the DL. Kimball and Marrero will both be on the 60-day DL.

NFL Draft Breakdown: Wide Receivers

(Photo: scout.com)

Today, I will be breaking down the top three receivers in the NFL draft this year. This draft has a large class of receivers and the depth in this draft is tremendous. There will still be decent receivers available well into day two of the draft.

Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State)
Blackmon is coming off of a stellar year for the Cowboys. He had 121 receptions for 1,522 yards and 18 touchdowns.

When watching Blackmon on tape, what's not to love? He plays big. He is strong. One thing I like is his hand usage. He gets physical at the line of scrimmage to avoid being jammed. When he runs a fake in the route, he plants hard on the cut and sells it well. Blackmon has great awareness. He knows where he is in relation to the sidelines at all times. When blocking, he gets low and inside and jams the corner.

One thing he should focusing on improving is how he holds the football. He has a tendency to hold the ball loose and he runs the risk of fumbling.

Michael Floyd (Notre Dame)
Michael Floyd had a great senior year for the Fighting Irish. He had 100 receptions for 1,147 yards and nine touchdowns.

Floyd does not quite have the speed that you look for when evaluating wide receivers. The quality that makes him so good is his ability to just get open. He beats you with a quick move at the start then uses a series of fakes to make himself available to the quarterback. He has a knack for being able to get the ball at its highest point. Floyd has great hands and also presents a big target for quarterbacks to hit.

If there was one thing he could improve on, it would be his speed. I know you can't coach speed, but, if he could just get a little bit faster, I think he could be a lock to be a top 20 pick.

Kendall Wright (Baylor)
Kendall Wright performed exceptionally well for the Bears this past season. He had 108 receptions for 1,663 yards and 14 touchdowns.

The first thing that comes to my mind when watching Kendall Wright is his speed and balance. He is arguably the fastest receiver in this years draft. He's got great speed and utilizes it right from the snap. He uses his quick hands to avoid being jammed and then runs right through the secondary on his way to the endzone. He has a great feel for his location and always knows where he is in relation to the sideline.

One thing he needs to do to better prepare himself for the NFL is gain weight. At just 190 pounds, Ray Lewis may kill him if he comes over the middle.

All three of these receivers have the potential to go in the first round. I would rank them like this: 1) Blackmon 2) Wright 3) Floyd.

NFL Draft Breakdown: Running Backs

(Photo: themajors.net)

Today, I will be breaking down the top three running backs in the NFL draft this year (arguably). This year the draft is not very deep at the running back position. Much like the quarterbacks, there are only a few (two to be exact) that are expected to go in the first round. Let's take a closer at the top three running backs.

Trent Richardson (Alabama)
Last season, the Heisman finalist had a solid year for the Crimson Tide. He rushed for 1,679 yards with 21 touchdowns. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry.

Standing at 5-11 and weighing in at around 225 pounds, Richardson has the stature of former Alabama running back Mark Ingram. Richardson style, however, is far different. Richardson hits the hole low and hard and powers through it as if he's running a goal line play. However, once he gets through the hole, he rises up and turns on the jets. He's got great vision and sees/uses the whole field when he runs. He also holds the ball high-and-tight to avoid fumbles.

One thing I would like to see more of is his ability to catch the ball. He only had 29 receptions last season. More and more now are NFL running backs expected to catch the ball and become a fifth receiver.

Lamar Miller (Miami of Florida)
Last season, Miller had a productive season for the Hurricanes. He rushed for 1,272 yards with nine touchdowns. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry.

The big thing that pops out to me when watching Miller play is his speed. His biggest attribute is his speed. The 'Canes used him a lot as a return man and I expect him to primarily be a returner in the NFL. He has quick feet and decent vision, but, I just don't see him as a primary running back. He will get reps at the running back position, but he will make his money on special teams.

A way he could have a huge impact on any team is receiving. With his speed, he could be a lethal slot receiver or third-down-and-long type of back. If he can catch the ball consistently, he will find a home in the NFL.

Doug Martin (Boise State)
Martin, a senior for the Broncos this past season, had his most productive season in 2011. He ran 1,299 yards and found the endzone 16 times. He averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

When watching Doug Martin on tape, I don't really see anything that makes him stand out. He's got a good burst, good feet, and he runs hard. He is a solid running back. He holds the football high and tight; although sometimes it does hang loose and vulnerable. He is a solid mid-round running back. Will he start? No. Can he contribute? Certainly.

Martin follows the trend of the other two: hands. If he can prove that he has good hands and can catch the football, he will get his chance.

All three of these running backs will find a home at the next level. They all have one big thing that they need to prove: hands. Catching the ball out of the backfield is becoming a cornerstone to some offenses.

Expect Richardson to go in the top ten. Miller will most likely go in the second round and I anticipate Martin going either late in the second round or early in the third round.