Fins flop, AFC underwhelms

Bang it here for 2013 NFC Draft Grades.

Baltimore Ravens

32. Matt Elam, strong safety, Florida.
56. Arthur Brown, inside linebacker, Kansas State.
94. Brandon Williams, nose tackle, Missouri Southern.
129. John Simon, outside linebacker, Ohio State.
130. Kyle Juszczyk, fullback, Harvard.
168. Ricky Wagner, tackle, Wisconsin.
200. Kapron Lewis-Moore, defensive end, Notre Dame.
203. Ryan Jensen, guard, Colorado State-Pueblo.
238. Aaron Mellette, receiver, Elon.
247. Marc Anthony, cornerback, California.

Overview: The Ravens entered Thursday with an AFC-high 12 picks. They proceeded to replenish a defense picked apart in free agency with first- and second-day value grabs that address immediate needs. Elam and Brown are plug-and-play starters who add physicality up the middle. Experienced covering slot receivers, Elam is an upgrade on outgoing Bernard Pollard, while Brown's game tape was arguably indicative of a top-20 overall player. Williams is a quick-footed 340-pound nose tackle with pocket-pushing ability. Simon draws comparisons to James Harrison as a stubby, if stout rush linebacker prospect with a deceptively explosive first step. Juszczyk, Wagner, Lewis-Moore, and Anthony look like future role players. Mellette was another terrific late-round value pick. Once GM Ozzie Newsome gets left tackle Bryant McKinnie re-signed, the Ravens' 2013 lineups will near completion. And I think the product can be better than what Baltimore put on the field in 2012.

Grade: B+

Buffalo Bills

16. E.J. Manuel, quarterback, Florida State.
41. Robert Woods, receiver, USC.
46. Kiko Alonso, linebacker, Oregon.
78. Marquise Goodwin, receiver, Texas.
105. Duke Williams, safety, Nevada.
143. Jonathan Meeks, safety, Clemson.
177. Dustin Hopkins, kicker, Florida State.
222. Chris Gragg, tight end, Arkansas.

Overview: A high-risk, potentially high-reward draft. Top Bills personnel men Buddy Nix and Doug Whaley deserve kudos for pre-draft misdirection that convinced everyone Ryan Nassib or even perhaps Matt Barkley would be the No. 8 pick. Instead, they traded down to acquire more valuable choices and still came away with real franchise quarterback target Manuel. I'm admittedly skeptical of Manuel's NFL future, but Buffalo's execution was impressive. Woods, Alonso, Williams, and Gragg were solid value selections. The former two can help right away. The jury is out on whether Goodwin upgrades on in-house speedster T.J. Graham. Meeks and Hopkins were suspect picks.

Grade: C+

Cincinnati Bengals

21. Tyler Eifert, tight end, Notre Dame.
37. Giovani Bernard, running back, North Carolina.
53. Margus Hunt, defensive end, SMU.
84. Shawn Williams, safety, Georgia.
118. Sean Porter, outside linebacker, Texas A&M.
156. Tanner Hawkinson, tackle, Kansas.
190. Rex Burkhead, running back, Nebraska.
197. Cobi Hamilton, receiver, Arkansas.
240. Reid Fragel, tackle, Ohio State.
251. T.J. Johnson, center/guard, South Carolina.

Overview: The Bengals have done a great job of value drafting in recent years, and I don't think that changed here. Eifert was an obvious best-available selection and gives Cincy the athletic movement tight end Jermaine Gresham was supposed to be. Bernard should run circles around plodder BenJarvus Green-Ellis in camp, adding sorely needed playmaking ability to the backfield. Hunt is a Combine freak with unimpressive college tape and turns 26 years old before the season, but he couldn't have landed in a better spot. He'll receive Mike Zimmer and Marvin Lewis' tutelage as a developmental project while riding the bench initially behind one of the NFL's top front fours. Williams, Porter, Burkhead, Hamilton, and Fragel could all be contributors within the next year or two. Quarterback remains an issue in Cincinnati, but the rest of the roster is becoming awfully good.

Grade: B

Cleveland Browns

6. Barkevious Mingo, outside linebacker, LSU.
68. Leon McFadden, cornerback, San Diego State.
175. Jamoris Slaughter, strong safety, Notre Dame.
217. Armonty Bryant, defensive end, East Central (OK).
227. Garrett Gilkey, tackle, Chadron State.

Overview: I contemplated factoring Josh Gordon into this grade -- he was a 2012 second-round Supplemental Pick and cost Cleveland its 2013 second-round choice -- but decided against it because the pick was made by a prior regime. New GM Mike Lombardi does deserve credit for the Davone Bess trade, which netted Cleveland a reliable chain-moving slot receiver and all told cost very little. Along the way, the Browns invested in the 2014 draft, acquiring third- and fourth-round picks next year via trades with Pittsburgh and Indianapolis. Mingo was the most naturally explosive edge presence in this draft. McFadden may be stretched covering outside receivers in the NFL, but projects as an upgrade on Buster Skrine at nickel back. Bryant has some upside as a small-school project. Slaughter can be a core special teamer if his Achilles' is right. Lombardi's first draft haul underwhelms on paper, but the Browns can capitalize on his forward-minded thinking next year.

Grade: C

Denver Broncos

28. Sylvester Williams, defensive tackle, North Carolina.
58. Montee Ball, running back, Wisconsin.
90. Kayvon Webster, cornerback, South Florida.
146. Quanterus Smith, defensive end, Western Kentucky.
161. Tavarres King, receiver, Georgia.
173. Vinston Painter, tackle, Virginia Tech.
234. Zac Dysert, quarterback, Miami of Ohio.

Overview: The early rounds of VP of Player Personnel John Elway's third Broncos draft were largely by the book. Perhaps only Webster could be considered a reach, but he was a late third-rounder and adds quality secondary depth. Elway found potential late-round gems. Speed rusher Smith was leading the nation in sacks last year -- including three against Alabama's offensive line -- before tearing his left ACL in mid-November. King won't play right away, but offers starting-caliber potential down the line with 4.47 jets and separation skills. Although inexperienced, Painter is long armed and highly athletic with upside to develop into a starter at tackle or left guard. Dysert was a favorite of Rotoworld draft guru Josh Norris, whom I trust. Norris encourages not being surprised if Dysert eventually overtakes shaky 2012 second-round pick Brock Osweiler behind Peyton Manning.

Grade: B

Houston Texans

27. DeAndre Hopkins, receiver, Clemson.
57. D.J. Swearinger, safety, South Carolina.
89. Brennan Williams, tackle, North Carolina.
95. Sam Montgomery, outside linebacker, LSU.
124. Trevardo Williams, outside linebacker, Connecticut.
176. David Quessenberry, tackle/guard, San Jose State.
195. Alan Bonner, receiver, Jacksonville State.
198. Chris Jones, defensive tackle, Bowling Green.
201. Ryan Griffin, tight end, Connecticut.

Overview: Perhaps no AFC team found a better first-round fit than Hopkins in Houston. A Roddy White-type talent, Hopkins is a pro-ready bookend for X receiver Andre Johnson, playing Z and in the slot. Hard-hitting, trash-talking Swearinger will be a third safety as a rookie, but adds special teams value and could grow into the Texans' next Glover Quin. Williams is an athletic, finesse right tackle prospect capable of putting immediate pressure on inconsistent starter Derek Newton. An LSU base 4-3 end, Montgomery is a questionable schematic fit for Houston's 3-4 but was a value pick. Williams is undersized but wildly explosive off the age. Quessenberry is another zone-blocking prospect. I liked the late-round stab at Jones, who dominated the MAC last season.

Grade: B

Indianapolis Colts

24. Bjoern Werner, outside linebacker, Florida State.
86. Hugh Thornton, guard, Illinois.
121. Khaled Holmes, center, USC.
139. Montori Hughes, defensive tackle, Tennessee-Martin.
192. John Boyett, safety, Oregon.
230. Kerwynn Williams, running back, Utah State.
254. Justice Cunningham, tight end, South Carolina.

Overview: Keep in mind Colts GM Ryan Grigson also surrendered a 2014 fourth-round pick in the trade up for Hughes early in round five. I'm surprised Grigson mortgaged part of his future for a small-schooler with a checkered character background. Not only is Werner an odd fit for Chuck Pagano's 3-4 defense, but his tendency to give up on plays after initially being blocked was disconcerting on game film. Contrary to popular belief ? which may be racially driven -- the player's motor is an issue. I liked the Thornton pick, but not Holmes. I didn't love many of Grigson's free-agency moves or his draft as a whole, and this grade will be low. But the 2012 NFL Executive of the Year has earned every ounce of the benefit of the doubt. The Colts have a top-15 roster a year after going 2-14, thanks in large part to Grigson's scouting. He knows more than me.

Grade: C-

Jacksonville Jaguars

2. Luke Joeckel, right tackle, Texas A&M.
33. Johnathan Cyprien, strong safety, FIU.
64. Dwayne Gratz, cornerback, Connecticut.
101. Ace Sanders, receiver, South Carolina.
135. Denard Robinson, running back, Michigan.
169. Josh Evans, free safety, Florida.
208. Jeremy Harris, cornerback, New Mexico State.
210. Demetrius McCray, cornerback, Appalachian State.

Overview: Rookie GM Dave Caldwell inherited one of the league's most talent-starved rosters from annual draft-misser Gene Smith. Caldwell's approach was to simply land good football players, which makes sense because Jacksonville doesn't have many of them. Joeckel and Cyprien were widely considered first-round locks before the draft, and I thought press-corner Gratz was a sleeper for the top 32. The Robinson pick may be laughed at in some circles, but he has a genuine chance to be the Jaguars' running back of the future. Maurice Jones-Drew is coming off major foot surgery and entering a contract year. Evans was a solid late value pick; he has centerfielder range and was an excellent player overshadowed by Matt Elam at UF. The Jags still have a laundry list of needs -- pass rusher and quarterback most glaring among them -- but from all indications Caldwell is off to a strong start. Jacksonville still has a long way to go before becoming a competitive team.

Grade: B-

Bang it here for 2013 NFC Draft Grades.

Baltimore Ravens

32. Matt Elam, strong safety, Florida.
56. Arthur Brown, inside linebacker, Kansas State.
94. Brandon Williams, nose tackle, Missouri Southern.
129. John Simon, outside linebacker, Ohio State.
130. Kyle Juszczyk, fullback, Harvard.
168. Ricky Wagner, tackle, Wisconsin.
200. Kapron Lewis-Moore, defensive end, Notre Dame.
203. Ryan Jensen, guard, Colorado State-Pueblo.
238. Aaron Mellette, receiver, Elon.
247. Marc Anthony, cornerback, California.

Overview: The Ravens entered Thursday with an AFC-high 12 picks. They proceeded to replenish a defense picked apart in free agency with first- and second-day value grabs that address immediate needs. Elam and Brown are plug-and-play starters who add physicality up the middle. Experienced covering slot receivers, Elam is an upgrade on outgoing Bernard Pollard, while Brown's game tape was arguably indicative of a top-20 overall player. Williams is a quick-footed 340-pound nose tackle with pocket-pushing ability. Simon draws comparisons to James Harrison as a stubby, if stout rush linebacker prospect with a deceptively explosive first step. Juszczyk, Wagner, Lewis-Moore, and Anthony look like future role players. Mellette was another terrific late-round value pick. Once GM Ozzie Newsome gets left tackle Bryant McKinnie re-signed, the Ravens' 2013 lineups will near completion. And I think the product can be better than what Baltimore put on the field in 2012.

Grade: B+

Buffalo Bills

16. E.J. Manuel, quarterback, Florida State.
41. Robert Woods, receiver, USC.
46. Kiko Alonso, linebacker, Oregon.
78. Marquise Goodwin, receiver, Texas.
105. Duke Williams, safety, Nevada.
143. Jonathan Meeks, safety, Clemson.
177. Dustin Hopkins, kicker, Florida State.
222. Chris Gragg, tight end, Arkansas.

Overview: A high-risk, potentially high-reward draft. Top Bills personnel men Buddy Nix and Doug Whaley deserve kudos for pre-draft misdirection that convinced everyone Ryan Nassib or even perhaps Matt Barkley would be the No. 8 pick. Instead, they traded down to acquire more valuable choices and still came away with real franchise quarterback target Manuel. I'm admittedly skeptical of Manuel's NFL future, but Buffalo's execution was impressive. Woods, Alonso, Williams, and Gragg were solid value selections. The former two can help right away. The jury is out on whether Goodwin upgrades on in-house speedster T.J. Graham. Meeks and Hopkins were suspect picks.

Grade: C+

Cincinnati Bengals

21. Tyler Eifert, tight end, Notre Dame.
37. Giovani Bernard, running back, North Carolina.
53. Margus Hunt, defensive end, SMU.
84. Shawn Williams, safety, Georgia.
118. Sean Porter, outside linebacker, Texas A&M.
156. Tanner Hawkinson, tackle, Kansas.
190. Rex Burkhead, running back, Nebraska.
197. Cobi Hamilton, receiver, Arkansas.
240. Reid Fragel, tackle, Ohio State.
251. T.J. Johnson, center/guard, South Carolina.

Overview: The Bengals have done a great job of value drafting in recent years, and I don't think that changed here. Eifert was an obvious best-available selection and gives Cincy the athletic movement tight end Jermaine Gresham was supposed to be. Bernard should run circles around plodder BenJarvus Green-Ellis in camp, adding sorely needed playmaking ability to the backfield. Hunt is a Combine freak with unimpressive college tape and turns 26 years old before the season, but he couldn't have landed in a better spot. He'll receive Mike Zimmer and Marvin Lewis' tutelage as a developmental project while riding the bench initially behind one of the NFL's top front fours. Williams, Porter, Burkhead, Hamilton, and Fragel could all be contributors within the next year or two. Quarterback remains an issue in Cincinnati, but the rest of the roster is becoming awfully good.

Grade: B

Cleveland Browns

6. Barkevious Mingo, outside linebacker, LSU.
68. Leon McFadden, cornerback, San Diego State.
175. Jamoris Slaughter, strong safety, Notre Dame.
217. Armonty Bryant, defensive end, East Central (OK).
227. Garrett Gilkey, tackle, Chadron State.

Overview: I contemplated factoring Josh Gordon into this grade -- he was a 2012 second-round Supplemental Pick and cost Cleveland its 2013 second-round choice -- but decided against it because the pick was made by a prior regime. New GM Mike Lombardi does deserve credit for the Davone Bess trade, which netted Cleveland a reliable chain-moving slot receiver and all told cost very little. Along the way, the Browns invested in the 2014 draft, acquiring third- and fourth-round picks next year via trades with Pittsburgh and Indianapolis. Mingo was the most naturally explosive edge presence in this draft. McFadden may be stretched covering outside receivers in the NFL, but projects as an upgrade on Buster Skrine at nickel back. Bryant has some upside as a small-school project. Slaughter can be a core special teamer if his Achilles' is right. Lombardi's first draft haul underwhelms on paper, but the Browns can capitalize on his forward-minded thinking next year.

Grade: C

Denver Broncos

28. Sylvester Williams, defensive tackle, North Carolina.
58. Montee Ball, running back, Wisconsin.
90. Kayvon Webster, cornerback, South Florida.
146. Quanterus Smith, defensive end, Western Kentucky.
161. Tavarres King, receiver, Georgia.
173. Vinston Painter, tackle, Virginia Tech.
234. Zac Dysert, quarterback, Miami of Ohio.

Overview: The early rounds of VP of Player Personnel John Elway's third Broncos draft were largely by the book. Perhaps only Webster could be considered a reach, but he was a late third-rounder and adds quality secondary depth. Elway found potential late-round gems. Speed rusher Smith was leading the nation in sacks last year -- including three against Alabama's offensive line -- before tearing his left ACL in mid-November. King won't play right away, but offers starting-caliber potential down the line with 4.47 jets and separation skills. Although inexperienced, Painter is long armed and highly athletic with upside to develop into a starter at tackle or left guard. Dysert was a favorite of Rotoworld draft guru Josh Norris, whom I trust. Norris encourages not being surprised if Dysert eventually overtakes shaky 2012 second-round pick Brock Osweiler behind Peyton Manning.

Grade: B

Houston Texans

27. DeAndre Hopkins, receiver, Clemson.
57. D.J. Swearinger, safety, South Carolina.
89. Brennan Williams, tackle, North Carolina.
95. Sam Montgomery, outside linebacker, LSU.
124. Trevardo Williams, outside linebacker, Connecticut.
176. David Quessenberry, tackle/guard, San Jose State.
195. Alan Bonner, receiver, Jacksonville State.
198. Chris Jones, defensive tackle, Bowling Green.
201. Ryan Griffin, tight end, Connecticut.

Overview: Perhaps no AFC team found a better first-round fit than Hopkins in Houston. A Roddy White-type talent, Hopkins is a pro-ready bookend for X receiver Andre Johnson, playing Z and in the slot. Hard-hitting, trash-talking Swearinger will be a third safety as a rookie, but adds special teams value and could grow into the Texans' next Glover Quin. Williams is an athletic, finesse right tackle prospect capable of putting immediate pressure on inconsistent starter Derek Newton. An LSU base 4-3 end, Montgomery is a questionable schematic fit for Houston's 3-4 but was a value pick. Williams is undersized but wildly explosive off the age. Quessenberry is another zone-blocking prospect. I liked the late-round stab at Jones, who dominated the MAC last season.

Grade: B

Indianapolis Colts

24. Bjoern Werner, outside linebacker, Florida State.
86. Hugh Thornton, guard, Illinois.
121. Khaled Holmes, center, USC.
139. Montori Hughes, defensive tackle, Tennessee-Martin.
192. John Boyett, safety, Oregon.
230. Kerwynn Williams, running back, Utah State.
254. Justice Cunningham, tight end, South Carolina.

Overview: Keep in mind Colts GM Ryan Grigson also surrendered a 2014 fourth-round pick in the trade up for Hughes early in round five. I'm surprised Grigson mortgaged part of his future for a small-schooler with a checkered character background. Not only is Werner an odd fit for Chuck Pagano's 3-4 defense, but his tendency to give up on plays after initially being blocked was disconcerting on game film. Contrary to popular belief ? which may be racially driven -- the player's motor is an issue. I liked the Thornton pick, but not Holmes. I didn't love many of Grigson's free-agency moves or his draft as a whole, and this grade will be low. But the 2012 NFL Executive of the Year has earned every ounce of the benefit of the doubt. The Colts have a top-15 roster a year after going 2-14, thanks in large part to Grigson's scouting. He knows more than me.

Grade: C-

Jacksonville Jaguars

2. Luke Joeckel, right tackle, Texas A&M.
33. Johnathan Cyprien, strong safety, FIU.
64. Dwayne Gratz, cornerback, Connecticut.
101. Ace Sanders, receiver, South Carolina.
135. Denard Robinson, running back, Michigan.
169. Josh Evans, free safety, Florida.
208. Jeremy Harris, cornerback, New Mexico State.
210. Demetrius McCray, cornerback, Appalachian State.

Overview: Rookie GM Dave Caldwell inherited one of the league's most talent-starved rosters from annual draft-misser Gene Smith. Caldwell's approach was to simply land good football players, which makes sense because Jacksonville doesn't have many of them. Joeckel and Cyprien were widely considered first-round locks before the draft, and I thought press-corner Gratz was a sleeper for the top 32. The Robinson pick may be laughed at in some circles, but he has a genuine chance to be the Jaguars' running back of the future. Maurice Jones-Drew is coming off major foot surgery and entering a contract year. Evans was a solid late value pick; he has centerfielder range and was an excellent player overshadowed by Matt Elam at UF. The Jags still have a laundry list of needs -- pass rusher and quarterback most glaring among them -- but from all indications Caldwell is off to a strong start. Jacksonville still has a long way to go before becoming a competitive team.

Grade: B-

Kansas City Chiefs

1. Eric Fisher, left tackle, Central Michigan.
63. Travis Kelce, tight end, Cincinnati.
96. Knile Davis, running back, Arkansas.
99. Nico Johnson, inside linebacker, Alabama.
134. Sanders Commings, cornerback, Georgia.
170. Eric Kush, center, California (PA).
204. Braden Wilson, fullback, Kansas State.
207. Mike Catapano, defensive end, Princeton.

Overview: GM John Dorsey and coach Andy Reid entered the draft without a second-round pick following the Alex Smith trade. Their failed Branden Albert trade bid ensured it stayed that way. Kansas City still drafted left tackle Fisher with the first pick and plucked day-one talent Kelce at the beginning of round three. Their draft dropped off precipitously from there. Selecting workout warrior running back Davis over Johnathan Franklin was one of the worst picks of the 2013 draft. If Davis' college tape means anything for his NFL future -- and I believe it does -- he won't be long for the league. Johnson is a two-down role player and special teamer at best. Commings has been billed as a physical press corner, but I watched his tape and found him to be allergic to contact. The Catapano pick offered late-round value, but otherwise I was unimpressed by this eight-man haul.

Grade: C-

Miami Dolphins

3. Dion Jordan, defensive end, Oregon.
54. Jamar Taylor, cornerback, Boise State.
77. Dallas Thomas, guard/tackle, Tennessee.
93. Will Davis, cornerback, Utah State.
104. Jelani Jenkins, inside linebacker, Florida.
106. Dion Sims, tight end, Michigan State.
164. Mike Gillislee, running back, Florida.
166. Caleb Sturgis, kicker, Florida.
250. Don Jones, safety, Arkansas State.

Overview: GM Jeff Ireland was pick-rich after unloading Brandon Marshall and Vontae Davis -- two premier NFL starters -- for pennies on the dollar. Those bad trades are factored into Miami's grade. After more trades, the Fins wound up turning the two Marshall third-rounders into Michael Egnew, B.J. Cunningham, blocking tight end Sims, and part of the deal that brought underwhelming corner prospect Davis. For Vontae, they got Taylor straight up. Jordan has a chance to be the best player in this draft class. I like Taylor. Gillislee could be a year-one upgrade on Daniel Thomas if he demonstrates consistency in pass protection. Jones has starter measurables and offered value at the tail end of day three. But Ireland can't be let off the hook for his past talent-shaving trades just because he snuck them into last offseason. The Fins are still paying the piper, and after nauseatingly producing four consecutive losing seasons Ireland has cost himself all possible benefit of the doubt.

Grade: D+

New England Patriots

52. Jamie Collins, defensive end, Southern Miss.
59. Aaron Dobson, receiver, Marshall.
83. Logan Ryan, cornerback, Rutgers.
91. Duron Harmon, safety, Rutgers.
102. Josh Boyce, receiver, TCU.
226. Michael Buchanan, defensive end, Illinois.
235. Steve Beauharnais, inside linebacker, Rutgers.

Overview: The Patriots entered the draft with just five picks and did well to maneuver down the board, picking up more chances to improve their roster. Collins is an underrated, explosive edge rusher. Dobson had the best hands of any receiver in the draft. Boyce can really run, and Buchanan is talented enough to develop into an eventual NFL contributor. Ryan will play on special teams and may eventually push slot cornerback Kyle Arrington for snaps. The Patriots drafted several solid prospects and could get surprise impact from some members of the group, but New England is a win-now team and I'm not confident this draft will help them get where they want to be in 2013.

Grade: C-

New York Jets

9. Dee Milliner, cornerback, Alabama.
13. Sheldon Richardson, defensive tackle, Missouri.
39. Geno Smith, quarterback, West Virginia.
72. Brian Winters, guard, Kent State.
141. Oday Aboushi, tackle, Virginia.
178. William Campbell, guard, Michigan.
215. Tommy Bohanon, fullback, Wake Forest.

Overview: The fact that the Jets surrendered Hall of Fame talent Darrelle Revis for the 13th pick (and a 2014 third-rounder) is factored into their grade. GM John Idzik was still savvy enough to pull off a productive trade of his own, sending pick No. 106 to the Saints for new feature back Chris Ivory. Rather than adhere to a position-specific strategy, Idzik made selections working straight down his board. Milliner and Richardson upgrade the pass defense. Smith was the Jets' No. 1-rated quarterback and figures to start over David Garrard as a rookie. (Mark Sanchez will be released.) Winters is a highly impressive prospect and probable Week 1 starter at right guard. Aboushi, Campbell, and Bohanon may amount to mid- to late-round throwaways, but the Jets got better in this draft with five starting-caliber talents, including Ivory. Revis' loss still keeps their grade in check.

Grade: C+

Oakland Raiders

12. D.J. Hayden, cornerback, Houston.
42. Menelik Watson, tackle, Florida State.
66. Sio Moore, linebacker, Connecticut.
112. Tyler Wilson, quarterback, Arkansas.
172. Nick Kasa, tight end, Colorado.
181. Latavius Murray, running back, Central Florida.
184. Mychal Rivera, tight end, Tennessee.
205. Stacy McGee, defensive tackle, Oklahoma.
209. Brice Butler, receiver, San Diego State.
233. David Bass, defensive end, Missouri Western.

Overview: The Raiders essentially came away from GM Reggie McKenzie's first draft with a goose egg and signed several 2012 free-agent busts, from Mike Brisiel and Dave Tollefson to Shawntae Spencer and Ron Bartell. He also traded for Matt Flynn, which is not a solution for Oakland's long-term quarterback woes. Entering the draft, I worried McKenzie was simply struggling to identify talent. This haul eased some concerns. The Hayden and Wilson picks stand out as quality value additions of potential franchise changers. Wilson doesn't have the greatest arm and isn't the most accurate thrower, but he was the best quarterback in the draft in terms of pocket toughness. And that trait can take a signal caller a long way. I wouldn't be surprised if he started over Flynn this year. Kasa, Murray, and Bass were worthwhile late-round stabs. Watson will probably start at right tackle as a rookie, which is where he played last year at Florida State. I like Moore as a prospect, but didn't understand the fit. The Raiders are still desperate for pass rushers.

Grade: B-

Pittsburgh Steelers

17. Jarvis Jones, outside linebacker, Georgia.
48. Le'Veon Bell, running back, Michigan State.
79. Markus Wheaton, receiver, Oregon State.
111. Shamarko Thomas, strong safety, Syracuse.
115. Landry Jones, quarterback, Oklahoma.
150. Terry Hawthorne, cornerback, Illinois.
186. Justin Brown, receiver, Oklahoma.
206. Vince Williams, inside linebacker, Florida State.
223. Nick Williams, defensive end, Samford.

Overview: There's a lot to like about this draft on paper. Just keep in mind Pittsburgh sent a 2014 third-round pick to Cleveland in exchange for No. 111. Hard-hitting Thomas was a value there, but may only help on special teams for the next year and is a tight-hipped safety prospect, which is why he was available in round four. Jones and Bell are day-one starters, while Wheaton should have every opportunity to win a job in three-receiver sets as the "X" when Emmanuel Sanders kicks inside to the slot. Vince Williams is a physical inside thumper. Nick is built ideally to play five-technique end in Pittsburgh's 3-4 defense and has developmental athleticism. Hawthorne was once a projected future first-rounder. Jones has a great arm and quick release, though he'll have to improve his in-pocket courage to pan out. I think the Steelers added good football players and can expect immediate impact from two to three acquisitions, but giving up next year's third-rounder is still bothersome when the team cannot be sure Thomas will be a productive NFL player.

Grade: C+

San Diego Chargers

11. D.J. Fluker, right tackle, Alabama.
38. Manti Te'o, inside linebacker, Notre Dame.
76. Keenan Allen, receiver, California.
145. Steve Williams, cornerback, California.
179. Tourek Williams, outside linebacker, FIU.
221. Brad Sorensen, quarterback, Southern Utah.

Overview: Rookie GM Tom Telesco's first draft netted just one clear-cut value pick in Allen. More disturbingly, Fluker was the only front-five addition to arguably the NFL's worst offensive line. Telesco has been praised for stealing Allen in round three, but I'm not sure that pick helps the offense whatsoever if Philip Rivers isn't protected. And pass protection was Fluker's weakness in college, surrendering 5.5 sacks and 15.5 more hurries last season. He can be made to look silly by speedy edge rushers. The Williamses bring to the table athleticism and core special teams value, but neither projects as a future NFL starter. Sorensen is coming off a disappointing senior season at a small school. Te'o can be a solid two-down inside linebacker if protected by massive defensive tackles, but wasn't worth the trade up, which cost San Diego the Nos. 45 and 110 overall picks. I just find it shocking that Telesco showed so little urgency about upgrading his offensive line.

Grade: D

Tennessee Titans

10. Chance Warmack, guard, Alabama.
34. Justin Hunter, receiver, Tennessee.
70. Blidi Wreh-Wilson, cornerback, Connecticut.
97. Zaviar Gooden, outside linebacker, Missouri.
107. Brian Schwenke, center, California.
142. LaVar Edwards, defensive end, LSU.
202. Khalid Wooten, cornerback, Nevada.
248. Daimion Stafford, safety, Nebraska.

Overview: The players acquired look impressive at first glance, but dig deeper and there are concerns about the class as a whole and the costs to put it together. In the trade up for Hunter, Tennessee surrendered pick Nos. 40 (Tank Carradine) and 216 (Charles Johnson), on top of a 2014 third-round pick. All that for a six-spot jump in round two, which netted a receiver with great physical gifts but suspect hands. It was a steep price. Warmack adds needed power to the Titans' line, but was a largely ineffective second-level blocker at Alabama due to limited movement skills. He's a phone-booth player entering a zone scheme. Schwenke and Gooden stand out as value picks, but Tennessee did little to upgrade its porous pass defense and still needs to get more physical on Jerry Gray's side of the ball. Regardless of draft results, Jake Locker's third-year progress -- or lack thereof -- will determine whether or not the Titans field a competitive 2013 football team. And it'll probably determine Gray, GM Ruston Webster, and coach Mike Munchak's future in Nashville.

Grade: C-

Source: http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/nfl/43164/174/draft-2013-afc-draft-grades

Monsanto Protection Act

Are private schools worth the hefty price tag?

Jermaine Taylor , CNBC ? ? ? 9 hrs.

When she was a 17-year-old high school senior applying to college, Jessica Assaf wanted more than anything to attend Brown University.

Founded in 1764, the private research university based in Providence, R.I. holds the distinction of being one of the U.S.'s oldest higher learning institutions.

Along with its Ivy League peers, it's also among the most selective colleges in the country. This year, Brown accepted just 9.2 percent of the 28,919 students that applied for the Class of 2017. When Assaf was a senior in high school back in 2007, Brown's acceptance rate stood at 13.5 percent.

Despite a strong r?sum?that included solid grades and entrance exam scores, and an enviable list of extracurricular activities, Assaf ? who attended the private, $29,800-a-year Branson School outside of San Francisco ? failed to get accepted to Brown.

At the time, she "felt like a failure," she openly admits.

Now, several years removed from that disappointment, she sees that momentary stumbling block as a precursor to everything she's been able to accomplish since.

"Not getting into Brown was the best thing that's ever happened to me," said Assaf, a vice president of sales at S.W. Basics of Brooklyn who ultimately ended up studying at NYU and has been accepted to the Harvard Business School.

The private school environment, according to Assaf, too often tended to engender in her and her classmates "an entitlement mentality."

"At NYU, in a city like New York, nothing happens for you," she said. "You have to earn every opportunity."

At Branson "you don't think you have to work hard," she added. "You think I'm here, I deserve to be here, and now everything's just going to be handed to me."

Assaf is careful to point out that she's not trying to fault her private school or in any way disparage her former classmates. Yet she also admits to being "frustrated about my high school experience, because it was so expensive and there's so much emphasis on getting into an Ivy League school."

At a time when many Americans see little choice but to tighten their belts in an economy just barely lumbering along, parents are increasingly questioning each and every purchasing decision. That includes what they're willing to pay full price for at the local supermarket, to which schools they send their children.

Read More: Jobs Picture Looks Bleak for 2013 College Grads

Some parents can afford the hefty sticker price attached to schools like Branson. However, the experience of students like Assaf, coupled with comparable data on the success rates of many gifted students who attend free public schools, has called into question the cost-benefit?or the return on investment?of a private school education overall.

Indeed, while many still believe that enrolling their child in a prestigious private school?where the cost of attendance can often exceed that seen at top colleges and universities ? is a guarantee of social status, recent evidence suggests that calculus isn't so clear cut.

Worth the Cost of Admission?
At Brooklyn's Poly Prep Country Day School, the yearly tuition is about $32,000. Students excel in the classroom, all while attempting to live up to the standard set by some of the school's notable alumni, such as Kenneth Dubertstein (class of 1961), a White House Chief of Staff to Ronald Reagan; Seth Low (1966), a former New York City Mayor; and novelist Joseph McElroy (1947).

Poly Prep's graduating seniors also routinely gain admission to some of the nation's elite colleges and universities.

"In the ever-increasing competitive world of college admissions, Poly Prep students continue to fare quite well," said Poly Prep's dean of college relations, Michael Muska, co-author of "Getting In: The Zinch Guide to College Admissions & Financial Aid in the Digital Age," on the school's site.

In an e-mail to CNBC, Muska said that "over 20 percent of last year's class attended Ivy and Little Ivy schools."

That said, Poly Prep's numbers seem to be in line with the estimated 25 percent of seniors from New York's "specialized science and math [public] high schools," like Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan ? raising the question of whether its worth it to shovel money into private schools.

According to InsideSchools.org, an independent guide to the city's public school system, the largest in the country, students that hail from New York's most rigorous and competitive schools also gain entrance to the Ivies and top private colleges at impressive rates.

Other schools, such as the Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora, where students are admitted in the 10th grade based on their junior high and 9th grade performance, rank among the top schools in the nation in sending students on to Ivy League schools.

Both IMSA and Stuyvesant edged out Branson in a 2007 Wall Street Journalsurvey of student admissions to a select group of elite colleges and universities. Poly Prep, however, failed to make that list. Meanwhile, the famed Dalton School in Manhattan, which cost families more than $40,000 a year, just barely made the cut.

Some experts are openly skeptical about the merits of a private school education over that of a comparably strong public school, which they argue can offer a good student the same standard of education?and chances of gaining entry to a top university ? and are free.

"I used to chuckle at parents who would send their kids off to expensive private schools rather than Oyster Bay," said Gwyeth Smith Jr, an independent college adviser and former high school counselor. "If they're bright kids, they're going to be in the same honors and AP courses that are going to be equivalent to or better than many of the private schools."

Smith said he's concerned that far too many parents and students get caught up in the "college admissions arms race."

"My last six clients have all been 9th and 10th graders," said Smith, who acknowledged that most of students he works with come from middle- to upper-income families. "That scares me."

A Competitive Advantage?

While a supporter of public schools, Smith nonetheless admits that many private schools do have some advantages, such as better student-to-counselor ratios that allow them to put a greater emphasis on the college counseling process.

Smith often advises his students to make nontraditional college choices ? such as one student he encouraged to attend USC over an Ivy League school. However, he says he's concerned with the dejection that students like Assaf experience, when the substantial investment in a high-priced secondary school education doesn't yield the return they expected.

Read More: Student Loan Borrowers Leaving Lots of Money on the Table

"Those are the kids I [worry about] more and more," he said. It's "terribly confusing" for them and their parents, "who often believe their children are the 'chosen ones.'"

David L. Marcus, who wrote a book on helping students find the "right college" couches the public-private school debate in terms of institutional shortcomings.

"Increasingly, public schools fail to prepare students for college and beyond," Marcus told CNBC in an e-mail. The 1986 Brown graduate, who has served as an admissions interviewer for the school for the past several years, added that "too many [schools] aren't emphasizing critical thinking, and they're not helping kids see the connections between science and math."

On the flip side, he says that college admissions staffs "do a fantastic job scouring public schools for poor and middle-class students who distinguish themselves," echoing Smith's sentiment that a talented student will stand out to college admissions officers more often than not.

"I look for qualities that don't show up on a high school transcript," he said. "I want someone who has an insatiable desire to learn, and who thinks critically."

So what exactly are parents getting for the hefty sums they shell out each year for a private school education?which costs a family, on average, $15,000 a year, according to the Council for American Private Education?

Part of that answer lies with the superior access and attention to detail that comes with attending private school, says Jennifer Simpson, the director of college advising at the Kent Place School, an all-girls private school in Summit, N.J.

At Kent Place, where the annual tuition is approximately $35,000?more than the cost of attending Rutgers-New Brunswick, which is about $24,000 for 2012-2013?students have access to college counselors like Simpson, who came to the school after spending several years working "on the other side of the able" in college admissions.

She admits that access is "absolutely" a key factor in many parents' decision to send their children to Kent Place. Like many private schools, Kent subsidizes the cost of attendance with generous financial aid awards.

Yet when asked about Kent Place students' admissions rates to the Ivy League and other top colleges, Simpson said she didn't feel comfortable supplying those figures. She said different people had "different interpretations" of what constitutes a top college.

Still, parents like Ginny Dameron, a school nurse in San Antonio, TX whose son attended the prestigious Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, showers praise on her son's private school experience, and the perks that came along with its price tag. Dameron's son graduated from Exeter in 2007 and from Dartmouth in 2011, and is now earning a law degree at Yale.

"I think my son went to the best school in the world," she says of Exeter, where the cost of attendance is about $45,000 a year. The school's nearly $1 billion endowment dwarfs that of many liberal arts colleges.

Read More: Why Businesses Prefer a Liberal Arts Education

Dameron says she not only received very generous financial aid from Exeter, but that the school took a genuine interest her son from the outset of the recruitment process, and continued to nurture him on through graduation.

Still, even Dameron questions whether schools like Exeter still remain the "ticket to ride" to the college or university of one's dreams they may have once been.

"I honestly don't know if that's still the case anymore," she said.

A Shifting Perspective
Admissions officers like Jarrid Whitney of the California Institute of Technology?one of the most selective universities in the country alongside peers like Stanford and MIT? downplayed any notion that students attending private schools get special consideration in the admissions process, or had any other clear advantages over their public school counterparts.

"Although private schools may, in some contexts, offer more resources in certain communities than the local public school can," Whitney, executive director of admissions and financial aid at Caltech, said in an e-mail to CNBC. "I've never felt as if attending a private school would automatically give a student any type of competitive advantage in the admissions process."

Smith, who spent close to forty years working in public schools, still believes that public schools can and should do far more to help students navigate the vexing gauntlet of college admissions. "My own children went to public schools," said Smith, whose children attended Manhasset High School on Long Island. "I believe very strongly in public education."

For her part, Assaf is enthusiastic about her current career trajectory, even if it wasn't the seamless path she anticipated as an ambitious high school senior. She doesn't mind that her life took a lengthier path to the Ivy League.

"If anything, I give all the credit to NYU," she said, noting the many interesting opportunities she's gotten due to her NYU experience.

Although Assaf said she may have had similar opportunities had she attended Brown, she wondered if she still would have believed that "everything's just going to be handed to me," as she and many of her classmates did while they attended Branson.

"I think it ultimately comes down to the individual," she said. "I think about what's gotten me to where I am now, and it has nothing to do with having gone to private school."

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Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653351/s/2b451a2c/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Cbusiness0Care0Eprivate0Eschools0Eworth0Ehefty0Eprice0Etag0E6C96410A91/story01.htm

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Dennis Crowley Says That Foursquare's API Is Currently Underutilized, Apps That Use Its Location Data Are Smarter

During our Disrupt event today, New York City company Foursquare’s co-founder Dennis Crowley spoke about how people are talking about the company these days. One of the interesting things about the company is its strategy to be the “location layer” of the Internet. For four years, the company has been trapping all of this location data, tips and social graph information. On its location data, Crowley said that the company is generating all of this information that will be important moving forward, like finding all of the interesting places on say, a Monday morning in New York City. These are the bits of data that Foursquare has just started leveraging in its own app and it’s only going to get better. Crowley says that its API is underutilized by partners and people aren’t “leaning” on them as much as they could be, as of yet. He says that in the next year you’ll see more apps that use Foursquare’s location data get smarter about the world around it. This means that the company has a lot more evangelism to do to educate companies on how their data is best used. I can’t think of many services that do a really good job of it right now. Sure, apps like Flickr let you add a Foursquare venue to your photo, but that’s all. It would be nice if Flickr could suggest places to visit and shoot photos based on other interesting places are close to your current location, and those are the types of applications that Crowley suggests when saying that its API isn’t used to its fullest potential. When asked about how the company is viewed from the outside, Crowley said Foursquare is going through a period of time that other big startups have gone through: We’re not the shiny new thing anymore, we’ve been around for four years. People are understanding what we’re trying to do, become the location layer. We’re in that interesting hazing period where people are skeptical on whether we can be success or not. Facebook went through it, now we’re going through it. “The biggest haters and critics of Foursquare haven’t used the app in the past six months.” Crowley continued. He went on to call some of the predictive modeling that Foursquare is doing for users is somewhat like “rocket science.” However, getting people to stop thinking of Foursquare as the same company that

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/g7k7qDcUmhA/

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Woman Killed By Train in Montreal; Distracted Texting May Be to Blame

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/woman-killed-by-train-in-montreal-distracted-texting-may-be-to-b/

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Mississippi man charged in suspicious letters case

BRANDON, Miss. (AP) ? The arrest of a 41-year-old Mississippi martial arts instructor in a case of poison-laced letters sent to President Barack Obama and others capped a week in which investigators initially zeroed in on a rival of James Everett Dutschke, then decided they had the wrong man.

Federal authorities arrested Dutschke early Saturday at his home in Tupelo. He was charged with "knowingly developing, producing, stockpiling, transferring, acquiring, retaining and possessing a biological agent, toxin and delivery system, for use as a weapon, to wit: ricin."

U.S. attorney Felicia Adams and Daniel McMullen, the FBI agent in charge in Mississippi, made the announcement in a news release. Dutschke is expected to appear Monday in U.S. District Court in Oxford.

Authorities said the hunt for a suspect revealed tie after small-town tie between the two men being investigated and the 80-year-old county judge who, along with Obama and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, was among the targets of the letters.

Dutschke's house, business and vehicles in Tupelo were searched earlier in the week, often by crews in hazardous materials suits. He also had come under surveillance.

Dutschke's attorney, Lori Nail Basham, said she had no comment. Earlier this week she said that Dutschke was cooperating fully with investigators and Dutschke has insisted he had nothing to do with the letters. He faces up to life in prison, if convicted.

He already had legal problems. Earlier this month, he pleaded not guilty in state court to two child molestation charges involving three girls younger than 16. He also was appealing a conviction on a different charge of indecent exposure. He told The Associated Press earlier this week that his lawyer told him not to comment on those cases.

The letters, which tests showed were tainted with ricin, were sent April 8 to Obama, Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi and a Mississippi judge, Sadie Holland.

Wicker spokesman Ryan Taylor said since the investigation was ongoing, the senator couldn't comment.

Charges in the case had initially been filed against a 45-year-old Elvis impersonator, Paul Kevin Curtis, and then dropped.

Curtis was arrested on April 17 at his Corinth, Miss., home, but the charges were dropped six days later and Curtis, who says he was framed, was released from jail.

The focus then turned to Dutschke, who has ties to the former suspect, the judge and the senator. Earlier in the week, as investigators searched his primary residence in Tupelo, Dutschke told AP: "I don't know how much more of this I can take."

"I'm a patriotic American. I don't have any grudges against anybody. ... I did not send the letters," Dutschke said.

Curtis' attorney, Christi McCoy, said Saturday: "We are relieved but also saddened. This crime is nothing short of diabolical. I have seen a lot of meanness in the past two decades, but this stops me in my tracks."

Some of the language in the letters was similar to posts on Curtis' Facebook page and they were signed, "I am KC and I approve this message." Curtis' signoff online was often similar.

Dutschke and Curtis were acquainted. Curtis said they had talked about possibly publishing a book on a conspiracy that Curtis insists he has uncovered to sell body parts on a black market. But he said they later had a feud.

Curtis' attorneys have said they believe their client was set up. An FBI agent testified that no evidence of ricin was found in searches of Curtis' home. Curtis attorney Hal Neilson said the defense gave authorities a list of people who may have had a reason to hurt Curtis and Dutschke came up.

Judge Holland also is a common link between the two men, and both know Wicker.

Holland was the presiding judge in a 2004 case in which Curtis was accused of assaulting a Tupelo attorney a year earlier. Holland sentenced him to six months in the county jail. He served only part of the sentence, according to his brother.

And Holland's family has had political skirmishes with Dutschke. Her son, Steve Holland, a Democratic state representative, said he thinks his mother's only other encounter with Dutschke was at a rally in the town of Verona in 2007, when Dutschke ran as a Republican against Steve Holland.

Holland said his mother confronted Dutschke after he made a derogatory speech about the Holland family. She demanded that he apologize, which Holland says he did.

On Saturday, Steve Holland said he can't say for certain that Dutschke is the person who sent the letter to his mother but added, "I feel confident the FBI knows what they are doing."

"We're ready for this long nightmare to be over," Holland told AP.

___

Associated Press writer Jack Elliott Jr. in Jackson contributed to this report.

___

Follow Mohr at http://twitter.com/holbrookmohr.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mississippi-man-charged-suspicious-letters-case-070818976.html

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Penn State Grows Green Sports Program | Alice Henly's Blog ...

This week Penn State University hosted NRDC and the Green Sports Alliance as part of their Earth Week celebrations, which coincided with the annual Blue-White spring football game. ?It was the perfect opportunity to talk green sports.?

Since 1995, Penn State has worked to implement more environmentally friendly practices throughout athletics and recreation.?Penn State University is home to the first U.S. ballpark to be awarded LEED certification. In 2006,?Medlar Field?became LEED certified thanks to a variety of greener building practices, including: using only waterless urinals, plumbing for grey water throughout, using recycled content for all locally-manufactured stadium seats, an advanced recycling program and diverting over 75% of construction waste from landfill.?

Some other examples of their successes to date in greener sports operations include:

While in town, we had the privilege of touring these impressive facilities and programs as well as presenting to the Smeal College of Business Net Impact group about the?professional and collegiate?sports greening movement. The students were energized to build on the S.T.A.T.E.R.S program to integrate student-led greening projects across athletics and reaction facilities at Penn State.

Net Impact students plan to join with a newly formed staff Athletics Green Team to take advantage of the strong business case for greening, from operational cost savings to branding opportunities and attracting new sponsors.?The staff/student green sports coalition seeks to grow Penn State's leadership in sustainability on campus and throughout their community by using their powerful sports platform.

"Sustainability is a great way to lead our community, and we all have a role to play," said Bill O'Brien, head coach of Penn State's football team. "After all, Penn State has the first LEED stadium in the United States."

Get involved in the growing green sports movement and learn about the?NRDC Sports Project?by following us at?@NRDCGreenSports?and #GreenSports.

Source: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/ahenly/penn_state_building_green_spor.html

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Debunking the Myth of ?Syrian? Crime in Lebanon | Al Akhbar English

It?s a popular tactic among Lebanese to pin blame on Syrians for the bulk of the country?s daily crime. What?s at the root of this knee-jerk racism? And, in order to sustain such racist views, what facts about Lebanese crime are being ignored?

It is now difficult to hide the restlessness of Lebanese concerning the daily influx of Syrians into the country. The reason is not just politics, although it remains an excuse for some to complain about a regime opponent here or a loyalist there. Conflicts are erupting even in villages hosting Syrians who agree with them politically.

However, when Syrians park their car in the wrong place, they get chided for not daring to do so in their country. If they open a restaurant, drive a taxi, or find a humble job, they get accused of crowding the Lebanese out of a living. If they beg in the street, they are viewed as a stain on the city?s image.

This has become the backdrop of news about fights between young Syrian and Lebanese men, but it?s only a glimpse of the entire picture. What if we begin by trying to understand the situation using the Lebanese accusations of ?Syrian? crime as a starting point?

?Syrians Are Stealing?

It would be easy to miss the small news items that appear on the National News Agency crime bulletin. ?Robberies in Various Areas,? reads one headline. Thefts occur every day and they are on the rise constantly.

However, a news story from last Friday was attention-grabbing, primarily because of the media?s fixation on the nationalities of the victims and perpetrators. The story described four robberies with Syrians as their victims. Having been robbed in various areas, from Baalbeck to Beirut?s Sin el-Fil, the first was robbed while walking alongside the road, the second in a taxi, and the others, migrant workers, at home.

Moussallem objects to linking crime with nationality. ?The number of [arrested] Syrians is high, since they are the largest community in Lebanon and this is why the numbers pop up,? he explains.Frankly, for those who are disheartened about daily news of Lebanese racism, it was good news. It is the best reply to claims that Syrians are behind every crime. However, looking into such crimes might bring back some sense. Crimes are committed by criminals, regardless of nationality.

?We Need A Curfew?

This is another recurring news item. Municipalities in various areas of Lebanon are taking precautions to control the movement of Syrians. The newsworthiness of such stories is in the magnitude of discrimination against Syrians in such procedures.

The municipality of Baskinta, among others, declared, for the second time, a curfew on Syrians after 8 pm. The first announcement came in July 2012 and warned ?citizens and Syrians that violations and thefts happening at night cannot be solved with compromise or concessions, especially since some town residents intervene to protect the Syrian working for them, even if he?s guilty.?

However, only people following the issue knew about the press conference held by municipality head Tanios Ghanem on 10 April 2013. Ghanem described one of the area?s bigger thefts that had been carried out by Lebanese. He stressed however that they were from the Bekaa, but he didn?t ?know their sect or party affiliation.?

Statistics of Lebanese Crime

Responding to a request from Al-Akhbar, the Internal Security Forces (ISF) provided statistics about Syrian victims of crime in Lebanon between March 2011 and 19 March 2013. The figures show that 12 Syrians were murdered, 496 were robbed, 86 pickpocketed, and 117 physically assaulted.

On the other side, statistics concerning Syrians arrested in the same period are connected to 122 murders, 103 robberies, 1,572 thefts, 313 assaults, 352 drug-related, 32 rapes, and 2,593 different crimes (such as begging or quarrels in the streets), for a total of 5,042 detainees.

Before judging, the numbers must be seen in context. First, the arrest of a particular person does not automatically point to guilt. Hundreds of the above detainees have not been subject to trial yet. This means the numbers could be lower.

Knowing the size of the Syrian community in Lebanon (workers and refugees), which is close to 1.5 million people, the numbers seem normal. Moussallem agrees, explaining that ?the entry of such a huge number of people into Lebanon, whatever their nationality, will impact security.?

Moussallem objects to linking crime with nationality. ?The number of [arrested] Syrians is high, since they are the largest community in Lebanon and this is why the numbers pop up,? he explains. ?Available statistics do not show any correlation between crime and nationality.?

Moussallem goes further, adding that Syrians ?are also the highest proportion of work accident victims and most daily crimes occur against them.? He indicates that many are robbed in the streets but do not file complaints.

This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition.

Source: http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/15618

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