The relevance of the Wonderlic Test

Posted by Mike Florio on April 4, 2012, 2:27 PM EDT

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Long-time Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber echoed on Wednesday something many have said since LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne’s score on the Wonderlic test surfaced on Tuesday:  The 50-question general intelligence test is irrelevant to on-field ability.

“I don’t think it’s a factor,” Barber tells NFL.com.  “I don’t think it really translates into the football IQ . . .  I wouldn’t pay much attention to it.”

So why then does the NFL continue to administer the test?  Former Cowboys and Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson said Tuesday via Twitter that “90% of my misses were because I took a chance on marginal intelligence.”

Contrary to reports, Vikings NOT pursuing Parcells

Posted by Mike Florio on April 4, 2012, 11:38 AM EDT

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Yes, the Vikings have pursued Bill Parcells to assume some sort of a role with the team.

No, despite a New York Post report that isattributed to no specific reporter, the effort currently is not ongoing.

Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com reports that the Vikings previously reached out to Parcells, something we hinted strongly at on Tuesday.  Per Pelissero, the “conversations happened a long time ago and there has been no recent contact between the sides.”

Eagles sign Demetress Bell

Posted by Josh Alper on April 4, 2012, 11:43 AM EDT

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The Eagles have landed a possible replacement for injured left tackle Jason Peters and it’s probably not the guy you were expecting.

Well, not exactly the guy you were expecting. The team announced that they have signed Demetress Bell to a five-year deal on Wednesday. Until the point of his signing, you probably knew him as Demetrius Bell, but it seems that he is celebrating his arrival in the City of Brotherly Love by changing the spelling of his first name.

“Demetress is a guy we’ve followed since he joined the league,” general manager Howie Roseman said in a statement from the team. “He’s a big, athletic left tackle and he has quite a few games of experience under his belt with Buffalo. He’ll excel with our style of play on the offensive line.”

Bell took several visits around the league since the start of free agency, but the Eagles quickly became the frontrunner for his services when news of Peters’ Achilles injury broke over the weekend. The key now will be for Bell to stay healthy and make good on the flashes of talent he’s shown with the Bills over the past few years.

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Floyd's stock continues to rise after Pro Day

Posted by Michael David Smith on April 3, 2012, 6:40 PM EDT

AP

Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floydmade the most of his opportunity to work out for NFL scouts today.

At Notre Dame’s Pro Day, Floyd put on a performance that firmly establishes him as the No. 2 receiver in this year’s NFL draft, just behind Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon. NFL Network’s Mike Mayock, who saw plenty of Floyd while calling Notre Dame games on NBC, liked what he saw on the field and liked what he saw at Notre Dame’s practice facility today.