John Clay's Sidelines

(AP photo)

Some Saturday notes and links:

- Randall Cobb was the final pick of the second round of the NFL draft last night, going to the world champion Green Bay Packers. It’s a good player/coach/system fit. Mike McCarthy has proven he knows what to do with skill players. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers knows how to get people the football. It would not surprise me to see Cobb return a lot of kicks for the Pack next season.

- Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: “It’s probably too soon to tell what the Packers are thinking of doing with Cobb in regard to their receivers group. James Jones may be lost in free agency once the lockout is lifted. Though he aims to play a few more years, Donald Driver hurt his ankle, has had his knees scoped and is the most senior member of the team. Brett Swain isn’t a returner. But however he fits in with the receivers group, it is clear that Cobb is auditioning for a return role. Green Bay probably would love to get starting cornerback Tramon Williams out of the kick return spot. Others, like Nelson, have filled in there, but not permanently.”

- Click here for Cobb video from last night.

- Darnell Dodson is dismissed from another college basketball team, this time Southern Miss. Dodson was dismissed from the UK team after the 2009-10 season, then migrated to USM. Patrick Magee of the Hattiesburg American: “Southern Miss men’s basketball player Darnell Dodson was dismissed from the team on Thursday after his arrest for allegedly stealing items from a USM fraternity house. USM police chief Bob Hopkins said Friday that Dodson was arrested along with Cory Markell Smith, a former member of the Southern Miss and William Carey basketball teams. The two men both face charges of auto burglary and residential burglary, which are felony charges. USM coach Larry Eustachy announced in a brief statement Thursday night that Dodson was dismissed from the team with no mention of the reason.”

- For those who think Pete Thamel of the New York Times has it in for Kentucky, I guess now he has it in for Central Florida.

- Bleed Blue Kentucky says UK football has offered a junior college offensive lineman.

- John Calipari spent time Friday visiting coal mines in eastern Kentucky.

- I like the Bengals’ pick of TCU quarterback Andy Dalton. He’s smart, has a decent arm and ran more of a pro-style offense. Count me among the few who liked the hire of Jay Gruden as the Bengals’ new offensive boss, and I think Carson Palmer should come back and give it a try with new offensive leadership, and without Ochostinko. But it appears Palmer is on his way out the door. Dalton could lead the rebuild.

- Watched the Grizzlies knock out the Spurs last night, winning the series 4-2. Now we can move on to the series everyone wants to see: Boston vs. Miami. That starts Sunday at 3:30. I’m going with the Celts.

- If you wondered who would be demoted from the Reds’ starting rotation once Johnny Cueto and Homer Bailey return, looks like Travis Wood is pitching himself into the bullpen. The lefty gave up seven runs in just 3 1/3 innings in Cincinnati’s 7-6 loss to Florida last night. Yes, Wood is the only left-hander among Cincinnati’s starters, but he has a 6.82 ERA and 1-3 record.

I don’t think you can demote Mike Leake, who thankfully plead guilty to a lesser charge. His explanation — returned shirts but wasn’t waited on by a clerk, so he tried to do the exchange himself — was the same one I heard when up at the Reds-Diamondbacks game last week.

- By the way, former Lexington Legend catcher John Buck hit a 3-run homer for the Marlins off Wood last night.

- In college baseball, LSU pounded Kentucky 12-4 last night.

- Starting Sunday, I flip into full Kentucky Derby mode.