Cincinnati Reds right fielder Jay Bruce was named the NL Player of the Week on Monday, after a huge week that included him hitting homeruns in four straight games. He's off to a great start to this season after working hard in the offseason.

APRIL 2012
.297 BA, 7 HR, 17 RBI, .954 OPS
On pace for: 52 HR, 125 RBI, 37 doubles, 103 runs, 22 SB

2011 STATS
.256 BA, 32 HR, 97 RBI
May: .342, 12 HR, 33 RBI in 27 starts
Rest year: .236, 20 HR, 64 RBI in 124 starts
38% HR came in May
34% RBI came in May
 
CAREER MONTH-BY-MONTH SPLITS
(Entering season)
April: .251/.784
May: .292/.953
June: .235/.692
July: .227/.632
August: .260/.860
Sept: .277/.928

Fantasy Baseball, MLB cincinnati reds, jay bruce

The 2012 NFL Draft is in the books and now it's time to hand out some report cards...

FOXSports.com
Good Grades: Steelers (A+), Bengals (A), Patriots (A), Rams (A), Colts (A-), Redskins (A-)
Bad Grades: Saints (D), Raiders (D)

SportingNews.com
Good Grades: Bengals (A+), Cowboys (A+), Patriots (A), Packers (A), Steelers (A-), Ravens (A-)
Bad Grades: Seahawks (D), Raiders (D), Saints (C-), Jaguars (C-)

CBSSports.com
Good Grades: Bengals (A+), Colts (A), Steelers (A)
Bad Grades: Saints (F), Raiders (D), Browns (C-), 49ers (C-)

Rotoworld.com
Good Grades: Colts (A+), Bengals (A), Steelers (A), Bucs (A), Packers (A-), Redskins (A-)
Bad Grades: Jaguars (D), Raiders (D), Saints (D)

SI.com
Good Grades: Bengals (A+), Vikings (A), Chargers (A), Panthers (A-), Colts (A-), Eagles (A-), Steelers (A-)
Bad Grades: Broncos (D), 49ers (D), Saints (D+), Jets (D+)

FFToolbox.com
Good Grades: Bengals (A), Rams (A), Eagles (A), Dolphins (A)
Bad Grades: Seahawks (F), Saints (F), 49ers (F), Raiders (F)

Tampa Tribune
Good Grades: Bengals (A), Vikings (A-), Colts (A-)
Bad Grades: Jets (F), Raiders (F), Broncos (D), Saints (D), Falcons (D), Seahawks (D)

NFL 2012 nfl draft, draft grades, cincinnati bengals, new orleans saints, pittsburgh steelers, indianapolis colts

Former LaSalle Lancer and Ohio State Buckeye wide receiver Devier Posey was drafted in third round of the NFL Draft on Friday night with the 68th overall pick.

Posey, who played in just three games in 2012, finished his senior season with just 12 catches for 162 yards and three touchdowns. He missed the first 10 games of the 2011 season after receiving two separate five-game suspensions for selling OSU football memorabilia in exchange for improper benefits in the form of tattoos, and receiving money for work he did not complete during a summer 2011 job.

“It was something I learned my lessons from, I’m moving forward,” Posey said in a press conference shortly after being drafted. “It’s made me a better man and a better person. I’m just excited just to get down to Houston and get to work.”

During his sophomore and junior campaigns as a Buckeye Posey combined for 113 receptions for 1,676 yards and 15 touchdowns. Had he played more games in 2011 there was no doubt he would have been taken higher than Round 3. However, most draft experts did not project him to go as high as he did when the Texans selected him.

The former five-star Lancer standout was one of the best wide receivers to come out of the Queen City over the past decade. He finished with 48 receptions for 776 yards (16.2 ypc) and eight touchdowns during his breakout senior campaign in 2007 which led to his opportunity to play at Ohio State.

Posey has a chance to make a quick impact for the Texans and will be able to compete for a starting spot opposite of Pro Bowl wide receiver Andre Johnson. The young wideout realizes that he has plenty to learn and playing alongside one of the best players at the position is a great opportunity.

“I’ve been watching Andre Johnson since 2002 in the National Championship when they played Ohio State,” Posey said of Johnson. “He’s a hell of a player, and just watching his highlights over the years, it’s just a person that I emulate the way he plays and the tenacity that he plays with.”

A fresh start is just what the doctor ordered for Posey and with his college career behind him he appears ready to turn the page. The Texans are hoping that taking a chance on him will pay dividends and if it’s up to Posey there’s no doubt it will.

“I’m willing to do anything,” Posey claimed. “If they come in there and tell me I got to run down and be a gunner on punt, I’ll run through a wall for them.”

College Football, NFL houston texans, ohio state buckeyes, 2012 nfl draft, devier posey

No conference in college football had more players selected in the 2012 NFL draft than the SEC, which had 42 of its players have their name called over the three-day event. The Big Ten finished a close second with 41 players drafted.

Alabama led the way with 8 total players drafted, but all 12 SEC teams had a player selected in the draft.  The SEC is the only conference to have had a player selected from every one of its teams.  (SEC by team total: Alabama 8, Georgia 7, South Carolina 6, LSU 5, Arkansas 4, Miss. State 3, Florida 2, Kentucky 2, Vanderbilt 2, Auburn 1, Ole Miss 1, Tennessee 1)

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN
ACC: 31
Big 12: 26
Big East: 12
Big Sky: 3
Big South: 2
Big Ten: 41
Conference USA: 10
Independents: 4
Lone Star: 2
MAC: 8
Mountain West: 12
Pac-12: 28
SEC: 42
Southern: 3
Sun Belt: 6
SWAC: 3
WAC: 11
 
The following conferences had a single player selected: Atlantic 10, Big South, CAA, Canada, Great Lakes, Great Northwest, Great West, Gulf South, MEAC, Michigan Intercollegiate, North Central, Ohio Valley, Pennsylvania State, Southland

More notes on SEC:
* - It is the 6th year in a row and 8th in the last 10 years that the SEC has had multiple selections in the top 7 of the NFL Draft.

* - In last 6 NFL Drafts’ top six picks (36 selections total), the SEC has had 15 total selections.

* - The SEC has had a top three pick in the NFL Draft in 10 of the last 15 seasons.

* - Second year in a row that the SEC has had six of the first 14 selections in the NFL Draft.

* - Eight of the nine selections from the SEC were defensive selections.

* - In last 6 NFL Drafts’ top 15 picks (90 selections total), the SEC has had 29 total selections.

* - The SEC record for most players taken in the first round was 11, set in 2007.  The nine, on Thursday night, is third highest, also behind last season’s 10.

* - During the last six NFL Drafts, the SEC has had 51 players taken in the first round, an average of 8.5 per season.

* - In the last five NFL Drafts (2008-12), 10 of the 12 SEC teams have had players drafted – a total of 30 players overall.

College Football, NFL 2012 nfl draft, sec, big ten, conference breakdown, alabama crimson tide

The Cincinnati Bengals wrapped up the NFL Draft on Saturday with 10 new players in the fold as they added depth in many of their weakest areas. The added surplus of draft picks came after the team uncharacteristically became active players on the trade market.

After nabbing Alabama cornerback Dre Kilpatrick (6-1, 186) with the No. 17 overall pick (acquired from Oakland via the Carson Palmer trade), the team opted to trade down from No. 21 to No. 27 in a deal with the Patriots that also brought them an extra third-round pick (No. 98 overall).

The team used the second first-round pick to draft Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitller (6-4, 314). The versatile big man will pay immediate dividends for the Bengals up front, where they desperately needed a spark. Many fans were disappointed that the team passed on Stanford guard David DeCastro, who was taken by the rival Pittsburgh Steelers in the 24th spot.

In Round 2, the Bengals turned their attention to the defensive front and nabbed Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still (6-5, 303), who is the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. The team used its extra third-round pick (acquired from Pats in Round 1 trade) to get another defensive tackle, Clemson’s Brandon Thompson (6-2, 314).

With their own third-round selection ten picks earlier the team grabbed wide receiver Mohamed Sanu (6-2, 211) of Rutgers. Many experts are already comparing him to former Bengal wideout TJ Houshmandzadeh for his skill set, frame and physical style of play.

Cincinnati had five picks going into Saturday’s final four rounds. They made Georgia tight end Orson Charles (6-2, 251) their first selection of the day with the 116th overall pick. He has the ability to become a big weapon and joins Jermaine Gresham to give the Bengals a talented two-tight end set.

The team added another cornerback first its fifth round pick by drafting Iowa’s Shaun Prater (5-10, 190). Along with Kilpartick, the team was able to add two viable options to go along with the veteran free agent additions of Jason Allen and Terrence Newman to go along with the returning incumbent players. Suddenly, the team’s biggest glaring weakness has become loaded with depth.

The two acquired fifth round picks came in the final two picks of the round. The Bengals used the pick they received in the Chad Ochocinco trade last season to take another wide receiver, drafting Cal’s Marvin Jones (6-1, 199). The final fifth round pick (via the Keith Rivers trade to the Giants) was used on Boise State defensive back George Iloka (6-4, 255).

The team's final pick was spent on Ohio State running back Daniel Herron (5-10, 213). His senior season was cut short due to a five-game suspension for selling uniforms, but after rushing for 1,155 yards and 16 TD's as a junior the Bengals felt he was too good to pass up with the 191st overall selection. He will start the season behind the newly acquired Benjarvus Green-Ellis and Bernard Scott on the depth chart, but could work his way into the mix sooner rather than later.

COMPLETE TEAM PICKS & ANALYSIS (NFL.com)

NFL cincinnati bengals, 2012 nfl draft, dre kilpatrick, kevin zeitller, devon still, mohamed sanu, brandon thompson, orson charles

1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck - QB - Stanford
2. Washington Redskins - Robert Griffin III - QB - Baylor
3. Cleveland Browns- Trent Richardson - RB - Alabama
4. Minnesota Vikings - Matt Kalil - T - USC
5. Jacksonville Jaguars - Justin Blackmon - WR - Oklahoma State
6. Dallas Cowboys - Morris Claiborne - DB - Louisiana State University
7. Tampa Bay Buckaneers - Mark Barron - S - Alabama
8. Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill - QB - Texas A&M
9. Carolina Panthers - Luke Kuechly - LB - Boston College
10. Buffalo Bills - Stephon Gilmore - CB - South Carolina
11. Kansas City Chiefs - Dontari Poe - DT - Memphis
12. Philadelphia Eagles -Fletcher Cox - DT - Mississippi State
13. Arizona Cardinals - Michael Floyd - WR - Notre Dame
14. Saint Louis Rams - Michael Brockers - DT - Louisiana State University
15. Seattle Seahawks - Bruce Irvin - LB - West Virginia
16. New York Jets - Quinton Coples - DE - University of North Carolina
17. Cincinnati Bengals - Dre Kirkpatrick - CB - Alabama
18. San Diego Chargers - Melvin Ingram - DE - South Carolina
19. Chicago Bears - Shea McClellin - DE - Boise State
20. Tennessee Titans - Kendall Wright - WR - Baylor
21. New England Patriots - Chandler Jones - DE - Syracuse
22. Cleveland Browns - Brandon Wheeden - QB - Oklahoma State
23. Detroit Lions - Riley Reiff - T - Iowa
24. Pittsburgh Steelers - David DeCastro - G - Stanford
25. Dont'a Hightower - LB - Alabama
26. Houston Texans - Whitney Mercilus - DE - Illinois
27. Cincinnati Bengals - Kevin Zeitler - G - Wisconsin
28. Green Bay Packers - Nick Perry - DE - USC
29. Minnesota Vikings - Harrison Smith - S - Notre Dame
30. San Francisco 49ers - A.J. Jenkins - WR - Illinois
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Doug Martin - RB - Boise State
32. New York Giants - David Wilson - RB - Virginia Tech

College Football, NFL 2012 nfl draft, round 1 summary

Former St. Xavier standout Luke Kuechly was selected with the ninth overall pick in Round 1 of the NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers.

The 6-foot-3, 242-pound inside linebacker enjoyed a prolific college career at Boston College where he became one of the most decorated defensive players in college football history.

He finished his collegiate career with a school-record 532 tackles, including 299 solo tackles, in 38 games. The former Bomber ranks among the NCAA career leaders in several defensive statistical categories - career total tackles (532; second), career total tackles per game (14.0; first), career solo tackles (299; sixth) and career solo tackles per game (7.87; second).

The junior twice captured the NCAA statistical championship in both tackles per game (14.1 in 2010 and 15.9 in 2011) and solo tackles per game (8.5 in 2010 and 8.5 in 2011) and recorded at least 10 tackles in 34 of 38 career games, including a streak of 33 straight games from Oct. 3, 2009 - Nov. 19, 2011

“I’m jacked up,’’ Kuechly told the Boston Globe. “I’m so pumped up that they were interested in me and wanted me on their team. It’s an honor.’’

Kuechly said he will fly to Charlotte on Friday, then fly back home to Cincinnati on Saturday, before heading back to North Carolina for rookie minicamp. “I’ve still got a lot of things to do,’’ he said, “but this is great.’’

College Football, NFL carolina panthers, boston college eagles, luke kuechly, 2012 nfl draft

Check out the newest Bengal defensive back in action...

College Football, NFL 2012 nfl draft, draft cb prospects, dre kirkpatrick, cincinnati bengals, alabama crimson tide

Detroit Lions star Calvin Johnson beat Carolina Panthers Cam Newton in the final online voting and will be on the potentially cursed cover of the "Madden 13" video game.

We've look at the Madden Curse before on this blog and regardless if you believe in it or not, the situation will be worth watching.

Fantasy Football, Just For Fun, NFL detroit lions, calvin johnson, madden 2013, madden curse

The Texas A&M signal caller will be one of the players on the move in this draft...

College Football, NFL 2012 nfl draft, draft qb propsects, ryan tannehill, texas a&m aggies