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Brothers, Boehm and Hansbrough chase NFL futures, Chase Daniel looks to start

Where will these former Missouri Tigers end up?

By Oscar Gamble
Chase Daniel could finally be getting his shot
Chase Daniel could finally be getting his shot
John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

Chase Daniel

Meanwhile, ESPN is suggesting the Philadelphia Eagles sign Chase Daniel.

2. Sign Chase Daniel.

Without an obvious avenue to a franchise quarterback at the moment, the Eagles should bide their time and work with the options they have. Mark Sanchez has an obviously low ceiling, but he's still one of the league's better backup quarterbacks. It would make sense to pair him with the 29-year-old Daniel, an unrestricted free agent who spent the past three years working underneath Pederson in Kansas City. Daniel is basically an unknown -- he collected $10 million for throwing a total of 68 passes during his three years in Kansas City -- but he's more valuable to the Eagles than he would be to just about any other team in football. It's far more logical for the Eagles to risk $6 million on Daniel in 2016 than it is to pay Bradford three times as much.

It looks like new Eagles head coach (fromer offensive coordinator for the Chiefs) agrees:

My take: We've heard about the potential for Chase Daniel to become a NFL starter for a while. There have always been lingering questions about his size and arm strength but watching him play usually dispels those concerns. He's had limited opportunities to prove himself but I'm hard pressed to counter that there were 32 quarterbacks in the NFL better than him last year.

Jeremy Maclin

On Sunday, Jeremy Maclin attended the Mizzou women's basketball game and talked about his return to Missouri.

"Everybody asked me why I chose to come back to the state of Missouri and I felt like the script was written for me," Maclin said. "I couldn't ask to be in a better situation. Both sides fit very well."

Kony Ealy

A bit of potentially ugly news about the former Mizzou defensive end as he was caught up in dog breeding scheme.

Johnson claims the pair were pressuring him to invest in their plans to breed and sell Boerboels , or South African mastiffs, which can weigh more than 200 pounds. They told him many Panthers players were eager to buy a puppy and that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police planned to use the dog exclusively. They promised their business would clear $35,000 a litter and more than $1 million a year.

Russell Hansbrough

Five candidates from the SEC who could overcome NFL combine snubs - SEC Blog- ESPN

RB Russell Hansbrough, Missouri:

This one is understandable. Hansbrough had a disappointing senior season after rushing for 1,000 yards as a junior. Lingering injuries limited the Tigers running back to just 436 yards and one touchdown in 2015 as Mizzou’s offense circled the drain without a reliable quarterback and a healthy Hansbrough in the backfield. Hansbrough also is neither the biggest (he’s 5-9) nor the fastest back in the world. However, there are other undersized NFL backs with similar skill sets, and it would not be a big surprise to see Hansbrough catch on somewhere as a third-down back.

We've seen glimpses of Hansbrough's training through his twitter feed

It's probably best to remember "Mansbro" for his junior year accomplishments since his senior year was marred by injuries and a historically bad offense.

My take: You aren't going to hear a lot of hype for a smaller back who had a disappointing senior year and was hurt for the majority of the season, but Russell Hansbrough is more than that. Hansbrough was explosive in a rotational role when he shared carries with Henry Josey and Marcus Murphy and demonstrated excellent field vision and when healthy he had knack for refusing to lose yards. When his offensive line created a crease he was able to take advantage of it and manufacture yards through contact. His value in the NFL will likely not be as an every down back but rather if he can contribute on special teams and as a third down option much like Marcus Murphy who had a successful rookie year for the New Orleans Saints. I think a team could take a flyer on him in a late round or as an UDFA.

If he doesn't fit in the NFL, he could easily become the next CFL star like Kendial Lawrence.

Evan Boehm

We know Boehm was one of three Tigers to be invited to the NFL combine, but did you know they're already building statues of him? Or rather, figurines.

The guy who makes these has a Facebook page and has made a similar model for Sean Weatherspoon which is pretty sweet.

Boehm went on KTGR earlier this week to talk about his preparations.

My take: Boehm is a prototypical guard/center at the college level and I've said it for a while that to me he projects as a guard in the NFL due to his ability to pull and be a plus blocker at the point of attack. Boehm struggled at center when defenders lined up over his head due to his smaller frame (he's listed at 6'2) but was able to manage due to excellent fundamentals and a solid, squat, maxed out frame. Landing on a team with the right scheme is going to be crucial for his pro career. Boehm is also delightfully weird. I think Boehm ends up a third or fourth round selection on a team that needs offensive line depth and sees him as guy who can pull and block and be a swingman on the interior.

Kentrell Brothers

Much has been written about Kentrell Brothers.

2016 NFL Draft player breakdown: Kentrell Brothers - Big Cat Country

He also plays faster than he'll measure. He won't be a guy whose stock soars after the NFL Combine, but his production -- 357 stops, five interceptions, 11 passes defended, and four forced fumbles -- shows he has the range to play sideline to sideline.

2016 NFL Draft: Could Kentrell Brothers be Giants' middle linebacker of the future? - Big Blue View

But if he wants a player who can quickly cover a short area and attack downhill with bone-rattling force, then Brothers is a guy to keep your eye on.

Draft Bytes: News, rumors and thoughts on the 2016 NFL Draft - Windy City Gridiron

His pursuit is solid and effective. When he reaches the target they usually stop right where they are. He has good balance and fairly quick feet but he is not overly fast. He plays in actively in space (zone coverage) against the pass and is more effective in that role than I thought he'd be. While not fast enough to cover crossing slot receivers he is more than capable against TE's with a good jam off the line.

My Take: While Brothers has been left off a lot of lists and this has stirred up the usual amount of "DISRESEPCT!" from Mizzou faithful, I think he's become a sleeper candidate for a late first round, early second round pick. No, Brothers is not a thumper middle linebacker who can stuff the run and cover in space like Luke Kuechly but he's absolutely a playmaker. Brothers can be an every down linebacker who fits just as well in a nickel package as more traditional alignments. A smart NFL team will see what he has to offer and groom him to become their starter.

Revisiting Last year

In May of last year I opined on "Which Tigers are favorites for the NFL Draft" and I'm going to use this space to talk briefly about some of those predictions.

Obviously my take on Harold Brantley was affected by the serious car accident his suffered just a month later. I maintain he was, and could still be an NFL caliber defensive lineman. We'll probably have to wait another year at least to find out if he recovers physically and emotionally from that trauma. I've already talked a bit about Brothers, Boehm and Hansbrough and we are all probably tired of talking about what went wrong with Connor McGovern at tackle.

My biggest miss from last year would have to be Kenya Dennis. The hyper-athletic corner with SEC speed was mostly overlooked on Missouri's defense last year, often being picked on by quarterbacks avoiding junior corner Aarion Penton. I had Dennis as a first or second round pick but it's pretty clear from the lack of hype around him that's not going to happen. This is probably an example of me falling in love with his measurables vs his production. There's probably something to be said for the change in defensive philosophy Barry Odom brought affecting him but Dennis seemed to embrace them during the preseason.

If Dennis has a hope for a future in the NFL it's likely as an Aqib Talib style corner or moving to safety. He's a physical defensive back who may be better suited as a safety although we never really saw that from him in Columbia. I do know he's training for the NFL with the likes of Chris Carter, and perhaps he can still make it, but it's going to take some team taking a flyer on him in a late round.

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