Friday, April 27, 2012

Tight End - Overnight Wait Pays Off For Stanford Te Fleener - News

NEW YORK (AP) The overnight wait paid off for Stanford tight end Coby Fleener. He's reuniting with his college quarterback, a guy named Andrew Luck.

Fleener wasn't chosen in the first round of the NFL draft, in which Luck was the top selection. He got a nice consolation prize Friday night when the Indianapolis Colts grabbed him with the second pick of the second round. Chances are very good Fleener will become a starter and a main target for Luck.

"I just sent him a text message that had a lot of exclamation points in it," said Fleener, who had 10 touchdown catches last season and 18 for his career in Stanford's prodigious offense.

Indy not only parted with four-time MVP quarterback Peyton Manning this year, but also lost tight end Jacob Tamme to free agency and isn't expected to bring back injury-ravaged veteran Dallas Clark.

"I expected to be on a team where I wasn't familiar with the offense or the quarterback," Fleener said. "I can't wait to get started, to be honest with you."

The Rams actually used their own pick to begin the second round, selecting Appalachian State wide receiver Brian Quick. St. Louis traded down twice in the first round the previous night, accumulating several extra picks and also taking LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers 14th overall. In the second-round spot they earned for going 2-14 in 2011, the Rams took a wideout from an FCS powerhouse. The 6-foot-4 Quick had a strong Senior Bowl, showing he could play at the highest college level and helping his stock in the draft.

Linebacker Courtney Upshaw of national champion Alabama was chosen by Baltimore, the Ravens' first pick of this draft. Baltimore was projected by many to take Upshaw in the first round, but dealt away its pick. Four of Upshaw's teammates went in the first round.

Janoris Jenkins, a cornerback at North Alabama who was kicked off the team at Florida, went to the Rams six picks after they took Quick. Jenkins, holding an infant in his arms, had tears in his eyes as he spoke by phone with the Rams.

"I just be honest," Jenkins said about talking about his past transgressions. "I don't have nothing to hide. That was my past, that was a year ago. I took my second route to go to UNA for a reason, to show people I wasn't a bad kid and I wasn't running from my problems."

Division II guard Amini Silatolu, a member of the Little All-America team, was the eighth overall selection in the second round by Carolina.

It took 11 picks before Friday's first trade, with the Jets moving up four slots and surrendering a fifth- and seventh-rounder to Seattle to take Georgia Tech wide receiver Stephen Hill. New York needs a deep threat wideout, and Hill was the fastest player at the NFL combine. But he also comes from a running offense.

Hill pumped his arms to the fans in the balcony at Radio City Music Hall after having his name announced by Wesley Walker, one of the best deep receivers the team has had.

After New York and Seattle took the lead on trading Friday, the Rams no surprise considering their earlier wheeling and dealing in coach Jeff Fisher's first draft in charge pulled off another. The Bears swapped with St. Louis to move up five spots and get South Carolina receiver Alshon Jeffrey.

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