The Scouts Notebook

Finally done.

DL

Malik Jackson — The Tennessee star was a late add to the game. Played both DE and DT. Had some success at both spots. Really got the best of Matt McCants a couple of times. That’d be great, but McCants was struggling with everyone. Also beat Will Blackwell a couple of times in a DT/G matchup. That was more impressive since Will did some good things in Mobile. Jackson seems more comfortable at DE, but I think most teams will have interest in him on the inside.

Melvin Ingram — I’ve talked about his terrific athletic ability, but you also have to appreciate his power. Used a bull rush on Cordy Glenn and moved him back a couple of steps. Beat Zebrie Sanders with an inside move and then beat McCants off the edge. Ingram had a great trio of practices. Really impressive guy. Shined at DE and 3-4 OLB, where some teams might covet him.

Jake Bequette — Still worked out with the LBs, but I’m listing him as a DL since that’s where I think his future is. Good effort in coverage, but still raw and awkward. Ate up RBs in the pass rush drill. You could see Jake’s pass rushing skills there. Very good swim move.

Kheeston Randall — Watch the individual movement drills and you see an athletic DT that is pretty impressive. Then watch him go against blockers and he’s less impressive. Never noticed him in 9-on-7 stuff or team drills. Talented player, but also frustrating.

Quinton Coples — Once again had his best success with inside moves. That just bugs me. Really looks the part, but I don’t see a guy who is a force off the edge. Tons of talent. Huge potential. Maybe he’ll turn it on in the game.

Brandon Thompson — Solid day. Beat Phillip Blake with a hard inside move. Had a TFL on run play in team session. Able to win with quickness or strength.

LB

Nigel Bradham — Hands like a clock. Literally dropped every ball thrown to him in drills. Doesn’t have great feet. Runs well and has some agility, but I wish he had better feet as an athletic LB.

Keenan Robinson — Very good job in the pass rush drill. Used a swim move very effectively for several rushes. Really battled TEs at the point of attack in team run plays that came to his side. Chased down one run from behind and made the stop. Got sealed on one run that came to his side. Had a good tackle of RB in team session.

Courtney Upshaw — Odd day. In the 1-on-1′s he was coming off the ball slow and just engaging the OL and moving him back a bit. Almost looked lazy. First rep in a team drill and he flew off the edge for a sack. Was he just bored? Dude can play. Very powerful.

Zach Brown — Great hands. Had a couple of drops on the day, but the way he catches the ball is just impressive. Looks like a WR or gifted TE. Natural pass catcher. Had a solid day against the run. Highlight was when he shot a gap and got TFL of RB.

Sean Spence — Good run defender. Made one standout tackle in 9-on-7 drill. Got better at catching the ball as the week rolled on. Still is nothing like Brown. One thing that will bug some LB coaches is that Sean is always moving forward at the snap. Those false steps weren’t a huge deal at Miami or in Mobile, but they can be in the NFL. You must sit tight, read things, and then attack. Drew Rosenhaus is his agent.

DB

Antonio Allen — Probably the best Safety in Mobile. Looked very good in run support. Didn’t lay guys out (you’re not allowed to), but came up quickly and aggressively. Also had some good moments in coverage. Held his own vs Joe Adams on one play. Impressive.

Janoris Jenkins — Odd day. Had some real good plays. Showed really good cover skills. Got into a bad habit of trying to jump routes and that caused him to get burned. That can be coached out. Jenkins didn’t do it all week that I could tell and that wasn’t a problem in the past. Sorta weird. Has definitely impressed.

Dwight Bentley — Solid showing. Very good press corner. Loves to jam and be physical. Able to turn and run with receivers. Ball skills aren’t great, but has good coverage instincts.

Brandon Boykin — Another good day. So athletic. Able to run with anyone. Solid as PR. Note of interest, hung out with his family after practice. I think that’s a good thing. Only concern comes if his parents are meddlers that will bug coaches about playing time and how Brandon is treated. That isn’t a common problem in the NFL, but there are still a handful of crazy moms/dads even at that level.

Ryan Steed — Another good showing. Hasn’t looked small school at all. Had one good PBU on a throw to Criner. Good combination of cover skills and athleticism. Legit prospect.

Markelle Martin — Really want to see him in the game. Flashed a few times. Had good coverage on some underneath passes. Came up quickly vs the run in the team session.

QB

Same as the last couple of days. Weeden looked good. Foles was up and down. Lindley was down. Really struggled with throwing the ball. Not good.

RB

Lenon Creer — Impressive day. Ran hard. They weren’t full tackling, but he still hit the hole hard and busted through arm tackles. Good effort in pass pro drill. Had a couple of very good runs in the team session. Opened some eyes. Late add.

Vick Ballard — Pretty good. Showed some speed as a runner. Good build at 5’9, 217. Good effort in pass pro. Probably didn’t do tons of that at Miss State, but looks like he can be worked with. Still inconsistent as a receiver. Does have potential there.

Terrance Ganaway — Started off awful in pass pro drill. Coaches were livid. Got beaten inside and out. Got bull rushed. Human turnstile. Showed some improvement as the drill went on. That’s important. Shows mental toughness. Some guys check out when they struggle. Ganaway didn’t. Does need a ton of coaching.

WR

Joe Adams — Doesn’t suck. I know I’ve written this before, but the thing I love most is that he’s a speedster that will cross the middle. He’ll catch the ball in traffic. He’ll go up for the ball. Small, but tough. And fast.

Patrick Edwards — Exceptionally quick. Excellent burst. Not sure about his long speed, but he was able to get separation from tight coverage by cutting and bursting. That is NFL stuff. Helped himself by showing that ability. Came up lame at some point and will miss the game.

Juron Criner — Runs good routes. Has very good hands. Looked good all 3 days. Went up over Menzie to make an impressive grab. I love Criner’s ability to locate the ball and adjust. Very good body control. Smart receiver.

OL

Jeff Allen — Played G most of the day. Had a very strong day. Comes off the ball well on run plays where he’s supposed to get to the 2nd level. Good pass pro. Able to lock on and anchor. Ate up Randall and even Ingram in pass pro. Bends his knees and isn’t going backward.

Ben Jones — Played C and G. Got the best of Thompson and Randall in G/DT drills. Not flashy at all, but gets the job done.

Cordy Glenn — Wow. What a difference a couple of days makes. Played G and T. Had a very impressive day. Got the best of Courtney Upshaw a few times. Blocked Coples. Handled most of the guys he faced. Moved his feet better and was punching out with his long arms to keep guys away from his body. Not just a G prospect. Showed serious RT ability. I still wouldn’t trust him vs the Dwight Freeney’s of the world at LT.

Sorry this is late.  Went right from the practice field to the airport and didn’t get home til midnight.  Today it is back to the real world, as well as writing.

I watched the LBs closely early on.  Several guys came out to work with Mike Singletary before practice even got started.

Lavonte David — He worked on shedding blocks.  The coaches were explaining to him how to use his hands and the importance of balance.  One assistant did a simple push ‘n pull move on him and sent David flying.  You could see the light bulb come on at that point.  When some assistant coach (not Mike) can do that and move you several yards, that must work.  Overall, David had a solid day.  Came up with a TFL in a team session where the ball came his way.  I still think he’s at his best chasing plays, but if he can learn to take on blockers and get by them, that will help him quite a bit.

James-Michael Johnson — Singletary called him “Reno”, as in Nevada-Reno, his college.  JMJ had a rough day.  He was too high in the bag drills and Singletary really got after him at one point.  He made him start a drill over and over and over.  JMJ’s first move was straight up, instead of moving laterally.  That’s a big no-no in the NFL.  Gotta stay down.  Singletary was being really hard on “Reno”, but was pushing him to get better.  JMJ did have a nice hit in a run drill.  He’s got some pop.  Struggled a bit in coverage.  Doesn’t have great hips and isn’t a top athlete.

Shane McClellin — Really does look the part of a LB.  Has some real pop when he hits.  Did pretty well in the bag drills.  Looks pretty good moving laterally.  Doesn’t look lost when playing off the ball.  Definitely a project for someone, but a very interesting guy.

Demario Davis — Late add to the Senior Bowl has helped himself.  Got 1-on-1 time with Singletary and the two of them seemed to hit it off.  You love it when players want to learn and show coachability.  Davis then went into the tackling drills.  On the first rep he hit Lavonte David and David’s head snapped back.  Was just a half-speed drill, but Davis made sure to hit and not hesitate or “catch” the ball carrier.  Davis had a good tackle of RB in 9-on-7.  He read a screen pass in the team session and blew up that play.  Played MLB down there and did well.

DL

Billy Winn — Played both DE and DT.  Never really stood out to me.  Wasn’t beating G/C’s or OTs.  Might be someone that 3-4 teams like because of his frame.

Vinny Curry — Very good day.  Had success as an edge rusher.  Explosive when he times his get-off just right.  Moved inside to DT for some reps and absolutely killed the G’s he went up against.  They had no answer for his quickness.  Uses his hands well to shed blocks in some drills.  Disruptive player who has looked good so far.

Derek Wolfe — DT at Cincy, but got a lot of snaps at LDE in practice.  Good size at 6’5, 286.  Quick off the ball and has a good motor.  Will fight to beat blockers.  Looked a bit lost at DE since he lacks experience there.  Basically just used a rip move and tried to go wide.  That made it easier for blockers to handle him.  Played a bootleg perfect in the team session and would have had an easy sack if it were live.  Got some snaps at DT.  Looked more natural in there.

Mike Martin — Played NT and UT.  Stout enough to eat up blocks at NT.  Athletic enough to get some penetration from UT.  He’s only 6’1, but that helps him to play with excellent leverage.  Beat Rishaw Johnson, a late add, a time or two in drills.  Didn’t have as much luck with Brewster.

Kendall Reyes — I’m not his biggest fan, but is having a solid week.  Was effective with a bull rush in drills.  Beat Johnnie Troutman with quickness.  Blew up a run play in the team session.  He’s being disruptive.

Alameda Ta’Amu —  I wrote in Tuesday’s notes that he was struggling because everything was a power rush.  Obviously someone else saw that.  Ta’Amu worked the the coaches before practice on some moves.  He used a rip move.  He even used a spin move.  They do need work, but he was able to catch blockers off balance by not doing the same thing over and over.  Got penetration and blew up one run play.

Cam Johnson — Very good day.  Beat Kelemete in one drill.  Beat Mike Adams by using and up and under move.  Later beat Adams to the outside in a team session.  Looked like a natural pass rusher and disruptive player.

Jack Crawford — Failed to impress.  Nice frame.  Lacks burst off the ball.  Not a very creative rusher.  Has potential for teams who want a LDE to develop, but just hasn’t stood out.

OL

Jeff Allen — Might be the best OG at the Senior Bowl.  Played some OT as well, but really stoned guy at G.  Bends his knees and anchors well.  Tough.  Any team wondering if he’s athletic enough for OT can feel good knowing he could slide inside and play if needed.

Kelechi Osemele — I can’t stress enough how impressive he is physically.  Huge dude, but carries it very well.  Has played LT, RT, and G.  Looked good in all 3 spots.  Not an ideal pass blocker, but has better feet than you’d expect.  Was able to handle a guy like Vinny Curry in drills.  Absolutely ate up Jack Crawford.

Mike Adams — Down day.  Great job for 2 days, then turned human.  Cam Johnson got the best of him.  Maybe this is the concern with Mike…consistency.  Had his share of good plays, but simply wasn’t dominant like in the previous couple of practices.

Mike Brewster — Easily the best C in Mobile.  Locked onto DT in one drill and just turned him.  Good hands, leverage, strength.  Anchors well in pass pro.  Has good feet.  Stuffed Mike Martin a couple of times.

Tony Bergstrom — Good day.  Played G and T.  Pulls effectively at G.  Able to handle Mike Martin as G and T.  Handled Wolfe as an OT.  Good run and pass blocker.  Really interesting guy.

RB

Isaiah Pead — Looked good as a PR.  Flashed his speed a couple of times on offense.  Highlight was a play where he just smoked Lavonte David while running a pass route.  Great feet, very elusive.

Both Chris Polk and Boom Herron had some good runs in 9 on 7s and team drills, but nothing that really stood out.

WR

Gerrell Robinson — Solid day.  Made a terrific hands-catch near the sideline.  Later made a nice catch on a comeback route.

Marvin Jones — Very good.  Looks so natural.  Just plucks the ball with his hands.  Runs good routes and has shown surprising athleticism.

QB

Russell Wilson — Saw him get interviewed up close and he should stop with the football and go straight to being a CEO or politician.  Character is through the roof.  This is the guy you trust with millions of dollars and the future of your organization.  Unfortunately, doesn’t play to that same standard.  Once again was a little slow with his reads.  That’s something that can be coached, but is a valid criticism.  Did make one throw that some scouts near me seemed to particularly like.  Unfortunately I was watching LBs at the time so I can’t tell you what it was.  Generally a good sign when scouts were impressed.

Kellen Moore — Solid day.  Quick reads.  Accurate passes.  Some good throws.  Had a chance to hit his FB down the sideline for a big play, but was off target.  Normally not a big deal, but that is exactly the kind of throw Moore has to nail.  He can’t create big plays with 40 yard bombs.  When a play-action pass works perfectly, Moore has to hit the guy for the big gain.  Still can’t get over how young he looks.  Brandon Weeden could be his dad.

QB

Brandon Weeden — The best QB in Mobile.  Not sure it’s even close.  Once again threw the ball well.  Looks like an NFL guy, on the field and up close.  Handles himself well in interviews.  Comes across as genuine, even when he’s giving the typical BS answers that all players give to scouts/reporters.

Nick Foles — Threw the ball well on short routes.  Didn’t like his deep passes.  The ball fluttered at times.  Just doesn’t jump out in any way.

Ryan Lindley — I had such high hopes for him coming into the year, but he had a down season and continues that trend in Mobile.  Lindley was an excellent downfield passer in 2010, but we’re just not seeing that right now.

RB

Vick Ballard — Solid day.  Had a very good run up the middle in a team session.  Showed burst when he got to the second level.  Up and down as a receiver.  Made one nice catch, but also had a drop.  Shows potential, but needs work in that area.

Chris Rainey — Once again flashed his speed.  Was able to get to the edge on a cutback run.  Got mixed in as a receiver at times with some reps in the slot.

WR

Joe Adams — Another good showing.  Looked fast and explosive.  Caught the ball well.  He’s helped himself with his showing so far.  Made a good downfield catch that showed his speed.  Jumped to grab a pass up high that showed his athleticism and ball skills.  Has looked good at working the middle, but with limited hitting you can’t make too much of that.  Still promising to see a small receiver do that.

Jeff Fuller — A player that will lead to some arguments.  Ran good routes.  Was able to get open.  Love his size.  Problem is that he doesn’t have great speed or hands.  Long strider who it takes a while to get going.  Some guys will love the fact he’s a big guy with ability.  Others will see him as a guy who had his way with college DBs, but will struggle in the NFL.  Hasn’t impressed here the way he needed to.

Juron Criner — Made one very good catch.  Then topped that with a great one-hand snag by the sideline.  If you watched him at Arizona, you know he can make sensational catches.  Didn’t really stand out in terms of speed or route running.

TE

Ladarius Green — So-so day.  You can see his raw potential on some plays (size, speed), but he’s far from a finished product.  Skinny legs.  If you lined him up to block Justin Tuck, the QB or RB would be in trouble.  Definitely a project.

OL

Zebrie Sanders — His struggles continued.  I kept writing down that this guy beat 77.  That guy beat 77.  Re-checked my roster to make sure who 77 was…Sanders.  Not good.  Struggled with speed and power.  The OL/DL drills do favor the defense, but a guy with Sanders experience and skills should do better than he has.  Did have one good play where he rode Ingram wide and kept control of him.

Cordy Glenn — You don’t appreciate how big he is until you stand next to him.  Wow.  Seemed to have a better day today.  If he gets his hands on you, he will win.  Strong.  Anchors very well.  I think he’ll be a G.  Not sure he’s got the feet for even RT, but a team like the Steelers could give him a shot outside.

Jeff Allen — Solid showing.  Interested to see where he’s used in the game, at LT or RT.  Did get beat by Ingram on one rep today.

DL

Quinton Coples — Good day.  Was very effective with inside moves.  Still doesn’t flash explosive quickness off the edge, but is good enough at 6’6, 280.  Solid in individual drills and team sessions.  Used a good bull rush to drive Sanders back on one rep.

Melvin Ingram — The star of the Senior Bowl so far.  He won’t be taken first, but has really helped his cause.  He beat guys inside, outside, and with bull rushes.  Used a spin move to beat a blocker at one point.  Works out with the DL, but when they go to team sessions, lines up at 3-4 OLB.  Looks like a 1st round player down here.

Jaye Howard — I had some questions about why Jaye was coming to the Senior Bowl.  He answered them on Tuesday.  Had some moments when he really flashed.  Had a sack in team session.  Won his share of battles in the 1-on-1′s.  Jaye is taking advantage of his Senior Bowl invite.

Kheeston Randall — Caught my eye in some early bag drills.  Looked fluid and athletic.  Didn’t stand out as much as I hoped in the 1-on-1′s.

LB

Courtney Upshaw — Not dominant, but quietly having a strong week of practice.  Works with the DL in drills, then is OLB in team sessions.  Had a sack yesterday in team session.  Set the edge well in run drills.  Even Cordy Glenn had trouble moving him.  Very powerful guy.  Uses his hands well as pass rusher.  Not explosive, but skilled.

Jake Bequette — LB in both drills and team sessions.  I guess the Skins figure that they’ve got 4 years of tape on him as a DE.  Has held up pretty well as a LB.  Poor man’s Ryan Kerrigan.  Is too upright as a LB, but that’s something that would be worked out in time.  I think 3-4 teams will be happy with what they’ve seen.  Athletic enough to look good in space and on the move.

Zach Brown — Very good day in coverage.  Broke up a pair of passes and was able to blanket receivers.  Impressive.  Early on in the tackling drills he was catching guys.  That got worked on and he showed progress.  Still wasn’t popping guys the way you want, but it was better.  Solid showing in the team sessions.

Sean Spence — Good day.  Played the run well.  Made plays in the backfield.  Hit and tackled well.  Fought through blockers to get to the ball.  Showed better hands in the LB drills today.  Caught the ball.  Yesterday was drop city.

Keenan Robinson — Good day in coverage.  Was able to stick with his guys and broke up one pass.  Showed some pop when he hit a RB near the sideline.

DB

Antonio Allen — Good day.  Solid in run support.  Hit well.  Was also solid in coverage.

Janoris Jenkins — Stood out at times.  Broke well on the ball.  Good speed/quickness.  Had a PBU on a short pass to his side.  I don’t know if he’s erased any character concerns, but he’s played pretty well.

Dwight Bentley — Made a diving INT on pass that went off Fuller.  Bentley was playing off and was behind him on the play.  Coverage wasn’t perfect, but showed excellent awareness in seeing the ball and then good athleticism in getting to it.  Handled a double move well on a deep route.  Coach got on him for contacting the receiver downfield.  Bentley was in good position already.  Just had to “look and lean”.  Can’t be sloppy and hit the WR in the NFL or you draw the yellow.

Casey Hayward — Seemed to have a strong day.  Didn’t have any highlight moments, but was always there on his guy, ready to play the ball or make the tackle.  Experienced, talented CB.

I’m live down in Mobile.  Went to the weigh-in yesterday and the South Practice in the afternoon.  Let’s start off by talking about the weigh-in.

WR Joe Adams was just 5104, 174.  Expected him to weigh closer to 185.  He is a speed guy, but 174 is light no matter how you cut it.

Misc. note of interest…all the Ohio State guys had lots of tattoos.

DE Quinton Coples was 6056, 281.  4-3 teams will love that.  Any 3-4 teams that liked him might have preferred Coples to weigh 290ish.

WR Juron Criner came in short at 6021, but weighed 220 pounds.

WR Patrick Edwards from Houston was only 5087, 168.  That is a small receiver.

RB Terence Ganaway came in at 5114, 241.  I wasn’t sure he’d really weigh that much.

TE Ladarius Green was 6056, 237.  He’s cut, but skinny.  Can add 10-15 pounds to his frame and become a more traditional TE.  Looks more like a big WR right now.

WR Dwight Jones is 6031, 226.  Good build.  Looks natural.

WR Marquis Maze measured in at just 5076, 184.  That’s small for a guy who isn’t a blazer.

RB Chris Rainey was only 5083, 178.  He is explosively fast, but RBs need to be in the 190 range.

LB Sean Spence is undersized at 5’11, 228, but has a thick build.  He’s not workout strong, but football strong.

Bama TE Brad Smelley was small coming in, but turned out to be just 6017, 233.  That’s really small.  Not sure what to do with him.

Courtney Upshaw is a man among boys.  He is 6014, 273.  His muscles have muscles.  Really impressive guy.  Already has an NFL body.

His teammate William Vllahos, a C, had the worst body of the day.  He’s 6003, 306.  Dumpy build.  I can’t be too critical of guys who aren’t in shape, but then again…I’m not auditioning for the NFL.

OT Mike Adams is 6’7, 323.  Very impressive build.

LB Audie Cole has a good build at 6041, 248.  Also had the only ponytail of the Senior Bowl.

DE Vinny Curry is 6’3, 265.

CB Jamell Fleming is 5105, 202.  He’s got a muscular build for a CB.

S George Iloka measured in at 6035, 222.  Arms are 33 7/8.  Hands are 9 5/8.  Really intriguing kid because he runs well.

One question about James-Michael Johnson was where to play him.  Checked in at 6011, 249.  That kind of build means he should be an ILB or MLB.

RB Doug Martin is really put together.  Has a big barrell chest.  5’9, 219.

DT Mike Martin surprised me.  6012, 307.  Very cut body.  Doesn’t look like he could add much to that frame.  Really muscular.

I wanted to ask QB Kellen Moore who he was taking to the prom.  Looked like a HS kid.  Only 5116, 191.  Looked small, young.

OT Kelechi Osemele is a man.  Goes 6053, 333.  Carries that well.  Really impressive OT.

WR Brian Quick came in short at 6034.  Was listed as 6’5.  Did weigh 222 pounds.

QB Russell Wilson was only 5105, 203.  Really needed to be an inch or two taller.

DT Derek Wolfe, a favorite of mine, was 6047, 286.

PRACTICE   (Yes, Allen we are talking about practice)

Offense

Brandon Weeden does really look the part.  Throws well.  Good arm.  Accurate.

Ryan Lindley got Mike Shanahan upset because he was struggling with the snap count.  Mike halted practice to show Ryan how he wanted the snap count  to go.

RB Terrance Ganaway flashed good speed today.  He got to the edge on a couple of runs and took one in for a long TD.

TE Ladarius Green spent time as an in-line TE and flexed out.  Runs well and looked pretty good on the move.  Has skinny legs.  Must get bigger to play in-line in the NFL.

WR Joe Adams flashed his speed a few times.  He can really scoot.

OT Jeff Allen had a good day in the 1-on-1 drills.  He anchored very well.  Really tough for defenders when he got his hands on them.

OG Will Blackwell played R and LG.  Good day.  Moved well enough laterally to stop guys with outside rushes.  Anchored well.  Really competed on every rep.

OT Cordy Glenn was up and down.  He looked lost on some plays.  Was effective when he got his hands on rushers.  There is an old joke in the scouting world that “it takes a $20 cab ride to get around a guy”.  That’s the way Glenn looked.  Even when some guys beat him, it still took them forever to get to the QB.

C Ben Jones impressed me.  It rained throughout the morning, so the field wasn’t in ideal shape.  It was excellent considering, but still pretty wet.  Jones would get moved back in the 1-on-1 drill, but then was able to re-set and hold his ground.  Excellent effort.  Not flashy, but just good.

UAB OT Matt McCants struggled.  Good frame, but looked a bit stiff and upright.  Needs to really improve on Tuesday to help himself.

I was surprised to see Zebrie Sanders struggle.  Solid OT prospect, but there was a stretch today where multiple guys beat him.  Everyone’s best moments came against him.  Probably not a coincidence.

Defense

Melvin Ingram was the DL prospect I liked the most.  Was dominant at times in the 1-on-1′s.  Used inside moves.  Used outside moves.  Bull rushed.  Did it all and got pressure.  In the bag drills, you could see what a gifted, natural athlete he is.  Very fluid movement skills.

Brandon Thompson had a good day.  The 1-on-1 drills are a good setting for him.  He’s able to fire off ball and get upfield.  Good effort even when he was blocked.  Able to use strength as well as quickness.

DT Tydreke Powell had a solid showing.  Flashed some quickness off the ball. Good effort.

DT Jaye Howard was a very mixed bag.  On some drills, he fired off the ball and impressed.  Other times he was a JAG.  Didn’t look good in the bag drills.  Was stiff and upright.

DE Quinton Coples had a solid showing.  He wasn’t as dominant as you might have hoped, but he was clearly a top shelf DL.

Jake Bequette played mostly OLB.  He looked okay when dropping into coverage because he’s a good athlete and did some of that in college, but he was still somewhat awkward.

Sean Spence was the most natural LB on the South team.  He looked good in the movement drills.  He did well when they went live.  He had good pop when they were doing tackling drills.  The one weak spot was that he struggled catching the ball in coveraged drills.  An undersized LB like Sean needs to catch the ball well to help his value.

Zach Brown really looks the part at 6’1, 236.  You could see his athleticism.  I was hoping he’d tackle well, but that wasn’t the case.  In the tackling drills, he was catch-tackling.  Rather than popping the runner, he was absorbing contact.  You want LBs to run through the target, not just to it.  I didn’t see if he had any tackles in the live sessions.

by Gimpy

I’ve been watching lots of tape.  Here are some quick thoughts on various players:

* Kelechi Osemele – LT – Iowa State – Massive guy. Better pass blocker than you’d expect for a guy his size.  Works hard to mirror the rusher.  Pretty good feet.  Guys who take really deep rush angles will give him problems.  Good run blocker.  Can really maul guys.  Looks like a 1st round OT to me.

* Leonard Johnson – CB – Iowa State – 5’10, 202. Good CB.  Quick feet. Good tackler. Will get in on run plays. Can press or play off. Physical. Okay in zone and man. A little bit stiff in the hips. Battled all night against Justin Blackmon.  Got beat a few times, but never backed down.  That’s the kind of mental toughness and competitive spirit you want in a CB.

* Levy Adcock – RT – Okla State – Effort guy.  Battles on every snap, but doesn’t show the footwork to play outside in the NFL.  Could be a good OG.  Does use his hands well.

* Alshon Jeffrey – WR – South Carolina – I think he’s overrated.  Big WR who can do some really impressive things, but lacks speed and doesn’t get separation.  That will only get worse in the NFL.  Does play up to his size.  Can out-muscle DBs for the ball.  Can make spectacular catches, but doesn’t have soft hands.  I wouldn’t use a 1st round pick on him.

* Cordy Glenn – LT – Georgia – Not a good pass blocker.  Doesn’t have the feet to move in pass protection.  Tends to lunge at rushers.  Can be a good to very good run blockers.  Works hard to sustain blocks.  Strong enough to drive guys off the ball.  There were multiple plays vs SoCar when he drove defenders at least 5 yards downfield.  Might project to RT for some teams.  I think he needs to play G.

* Ben Jones – C – Georgia – Heralded OL.  Quality player.  Athletic, but not a freak.  Can get 20 yards downfield on a screen pass, but isn’t going to do anything that will blow you away.  4 year starter.  Lists at 6’3, 316.  Doesn’t always anchor as well as you’d like, especially if he’s really that big.

* Orson Charles – TE – Georgia – Only 6’3, 241, but a surprisingly good blocker.  Will really get after guys when used as an in-line blocker.  Moved J. Clowney off the ball on a run play to his side.  Excellent effort.  Gifted athlete and good pass catcher.  Size will turn off some teams, but very talented prospect.  Should be the #2 TE off the board, but it wouldn’t shock me if some teams had him rated #1.

* Brandon Mosley – RT – Auburn – 2-year starter after coming over from JC.  Lists at 6’6, 310. Really interesting player.  Very good at blocking on the second level.  Gets upfield quickly and is able to engage, then sustain blocks on LBs.  Smart OL.  Shows good awareness in pass pro.  Moves well laterally.  Pretty good pass blocker.

* Courtney Upshaw – OLB – Alabama – Kind of a decent player.  Good run defender.  Can set the edge or chase down runners.  Moves well laterally, but also explosive going upfield to punish some poor skill player who happens to have the ball.  Strong, powerful guy.  Good pass rusher.  Quick off the ball and stays low.  Tough to block.  3-4 teams have to really be excited by him.

* Brad Smelley – TE – Alabama – Very interesting guy.  Lists at 6’3, 229.  Played FB, TE, and H-back.  Good pass catcher.  Has excellent hands.  Knows how to get open.  Runs good routes.  Smooth, fluid player.  Runs well for his size, but isn’t some speed guy.  Reminds you a bit of David Thomas, the TE/H-back the Pats tried to develop for years.  Smelley looks like a big WR more than a small TE.  Some NFL team that is creative will love him.  I could see Mike Shanahan having success with him.  Smelley is an effort blocker, but wasn’t all that impressive.

* William Vlachos – C – Alabama – Awkward player.  Lists at 6’1, 294.  He is short.  Doesn’t have a good build.  Some short guys look compact.  He just looks short.  Very good college player, but the NFL will challenge him.  Somewhat athletic, but not a guy who stands out.  Didn’t impress me as a pro prospect.

* Mike Adams – LT – Ohio State – Outstanding run blocker.  Can maul DL or get up to the second level and mash on LBs.  Lists at 6’8, 320.  Started for 2 1/2 years.  Won’t appeal to all teams at a LT, but those who like run blockers will be very interested in him.  Could see the Ravens and Steelers loving him.

by Gimpy (make sure to follow him on Twitter…or he’ll follow you on the way home)

As a football fan, how awesome were all of the non-Patriots games this weekend? Well, if you’re a Tebow hater I’m sure that game was awesome, but if you’re a fan of games that matter after the first quarter, then you probably started surfing the web a little like me after the Patriots got up by 3 scores. The 49ers-Saints game had the best 5 minutes of football you’ll ever see, the Giants shocked the Packers, and everyone who watched Ravens-Texans knew a healthy Matt Schaub likely beats the Ravens.

It’s kind of hard during the playoffs to write about things other writers aren’t already talking about. There were 4 games, all nationally televised, and not much news other than Jeff Fisher that wasn’t playoff related. However, Jeff Fisher did go to St. Louis like I and just about every other person who wrote about it predicted, so good job everyone!!!

The only way I can think of doing this column different than everyone else is to write about why teams lost. I’ll focus on the losing teams a little and what they need to fix to avoid a similar fate next season. I’ll start off with a team I spoke a lot about this year, the Houston Texans. First and foremost what the Texans need is to get healthy. While Matt Schaub isn’t on the level of Brady and Eli Manning (ugh, it makes me sick to type that, but it’s true), he’s certainly better than the opposing QB, Joe Flacco. If you insert a healthy Matt Schaub into the lineup, the Texans don’t throw 3 interceptions and score more than one touchdown.

Their defense was one of the best in the league. They were top 5 in total defense, rushing, and passing yards allowed and points allowed per game. Their defense didn’t let you move the ball or score points. Most of this was done without impending free agent Mario Williams, who missed 11 games with a pectoral injury. Williams looked good in the 3-4 at the OLB position (5 sacks and a FF in 5 games) but if the Texans finished top 5 in defense without him, he’s probably not worth the price tag. They may have to make a very difficult decision and let one of the faces of their franchise walk.

If they do let Williams leave, they’ll naturally have a lot more cap room. They need to use that cap room on another playmaker on offense and signing Arian Foster long term. Ben Tate is a good RB, but Foster dominates in their offense. Extending Foster is a no-brainer, only the Bears FO is too stupid to pass on giving a playmaking RB a contract extension. Another playmaker is needed in the passing game to really make this offense click. Andre Johnson is a stud, Foster is a top tier RB, and another threat in the passing game would take their offense into elite territory with a healthy Matt Schaub. Either draft a guy like Michael Floyd or go after a FA like Vincent Jackson or Dwayne Bowe. Add a happy, rich Foster and another playmaker at WR to this defense and I expect a repeat as division champs.     Continue reading →