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Football Notes
** NFL notes are posted below **
by Tommy Lawlor
contact us at: scoutsnotebook@gmail.com
2-5-10
The latest mock draft is available in the Forums section or by clicking the Mock Draft button above.
Saturday is the Texas vs The Nation all star game. This has really become an interesting event. It gives us a chance to look at some guys who are from smaller schools or are just flying under the radar. The Senior Bowl has the best players. The Shrine Game is a level down, but still has notable names. That is as much a college all star game as it is draft preview. Tx vs TN is really about guys with pro potential. Last year we got to see guys like Johnny Knox and Bernard Scott. They each had impact as rookies. This year's game has some guys I'm excited to watch.
PLAYERS OF INTEREST
QB Jonathan Crompton - Tennessee --- He was only the full time starter for one season at UT. He started slow this year, but got hot about midseason. I'm interested to see how he plays in this setting. The Vols use a pro style attack which should give Crompton an advantage.
QB Rusty Smith - Fla Atlantic --- Very productive pocket passer with NFL size at 6'5, 230. Missed half of the season, but is healthy now. Definitely could be a player to watch. Has 10,000+ career passing yards.
RB Toney Baker - NC State --- Good player who had an injury-plagued career. Had more than 500 yards in each of his first 2 years and then had 10 carries in the next 2 years combined. Did stay pretty healthy in 2009. Ran for 773 yards and 6 TDs. Has good size and power. How athletic is he?
WR Marcus Easley - UConn --- Came out of nowhere to have a solid year. Easley has NFL size. He looks like a solid athlete. Can he run routes, get open, and make smooth catches in an all star setting?
WR Preston Parker - North Alabama --- Preston was a terrific player at FSU, but had one too many arrests/incidents and got the boot. Gifted receiver. Good RAC skills. Needs to show teams that he's good enough as a player to be worth taking a risk on.
TE Jason Harmon - Fla Atlantic --- Outstanding pass catcher at FAU. Caught 138 career passes, including 13 TDs. A bit on the small side. I want to see how he looks against quality defenders.
OT Jared Veldheer - Hillsdale --- The prospect we're all most excited about. Jared is huge at 6'8, 321. He's athletic. Can he play LT in the NFL or is he a RT? How athletic is he? Star player at the D2 level. How will he fare vs good competiton?
OT Derek Hardman - Eastern Kentucky --- Doesn't have as much potential as Veldheer, but another small school guy I'm interested to see against the big boys. 4 year starter with the last 2 seasons at LT.
S Kendrick Lewis - Ole Miss --- Very productive year for the Rebels. Finished 2nd on the team in tackles. Added a pair of INTs, 3 FFs, and even blocked a couple of kicks. How good is he?
DE Adrian Tracy - William & Mary --- Will he play LB or DE? Small school tweener, but a player with some potential. Had 22 TFLs this year.
LB Arthur Moats - James Madison --- Much like Tracy. Had 23.5 TFLs this year so we know he's a disruptive playmaker, but where will he play in the NFL?
S Aaron Webster - Cincinnati --- Underrated Safety. Has the size to be a SS, but is good enough in coverage to be a FS.
DE E.J. Wilson - UNC --- Another big school guy that I think is flying under the radar. Good run defender. Limited pass rusher. If he can get after the QB it will really help his value.
QB Ryan Perrilloux - Jacksonville State --- The former LSU star had a solid Senior year, throwing for 23 TDs and only 2 INTs. Can he have a big game against good players and sell himself to NFL teams? His reputation has some major dings because of his past behavior. Anything Ryan can do to impress scouts and coaches will help. We know he has the talent for this game. Does he play up to that level or not?
QB Levi Brown - Troy --- Had a great year playing in the spread offense. I want to see what he can do playing in more of a pro style attack.
C Erik Cook - New Mexico --- This isn't a great class of Centers. Cook could do himself a lot of good with a strong showing. He's got very good size. Some teams really prefer big Centers.
OG Ramon Harewood - Morehouse --- Massive blocker. Goes in the 350 range. I want to see how well he plays against good competition. I'm also curious as to how athletic he is.
OT Chris Campbell - Eastern Illinois --- Another small school LT. Has okay size. What kind of feet does he have and how does he handle good pass rushers?
DE Brandon Sharpe - Texas Tech --- Finished 2nd in the nation with 15 sacks. I want to see if that had something to do with Tech's scheme or if he can get to the QB in a generic setting like this game.
LB Larry Hart - Central Arkansas --- Played DE in college, but is only 6'0 and he'll need to play LB in the NFL. I hope he plays mostly LB in the game so we can see if he's got any potential.
LB Danny Batten - South Dakota State --- Goes about 6'3, 250. Could play LB or DE in the pros. I'm curious to see how athletic he is.
I'll be posting thoughts in the Forums section tomorrow as I watch the game live.
I'm almost done with my Senior Bowl review. It takes forever because there are 22 guys to watch on every single snap.
___________________________________
1-31-10
Early Postgame Notes from the Senior Bowl
I'll study the game thoroughly and take notes on every player, but I wanted to put up some initial thoughts.
DE Brandon Graham --- The star of the game. Dominating performance. Looked quick, fast, and tough. Relentless in his pursuit of the QB. Used his hands well. Played with leverage. Had a great play vs the run. Brandon started upfield. He initially turned inside, then saw the ball going outside. He flipped his hips and got to the runner instantly. That kind of agility and athletic ability will have LB coaches excited about his potential in the 3-4. His pass rushing had DL coaches drooling all game long.
QB Tim Tebow --- Had a rough game. His passing was hardly impressive. He struggled when he went to scramble. A couple of defenders made good stops on him in the open field that forced punts. That just didn't happen a whole lot at UF. He did make one very good throw early in the game. He hit a WR to the left with a quality pass. It was accurate and had zip. The numbers looked good 8-12-50, but the eyeball test tells you something completely different.
QB Zac Robinson --- Really helped himself. 12-21-176. The offense came alive when he entered the game. Threw the ball well. Passes were on target and had some zip. If you knew nothing of the players other than this game you'd easily say that Zac was the top pro prospect.
OL Mike Iupati --- Mike didn't have a great game. He played well at LG, but struggled when moved to RG. Quick DTs gave him fits. Iupati has the ability to beat those guys, but he needs to get used to playing against that kind of speed and quickness. I don't think his game struggles will affect his value. He had a terrific block on Blount's TD run. You can see just how good he can be on that play. He doubled the DT and sealed him. Mike then peeled off and got the LB. That gave Blount a huge area to run through.
DT Geno Atkins --- He was one of the guys who gave Iupati such trouble. Geno only measured in at 6'1, 286. That's small, but he is quick off the ball and was very disruptive in the game. Aktins won't fit every scheme, but he showed that he does have value for 1-gap teams.
RB Lonyae Miller --- Finally he didn't have to sit behind Ryan Mathews. Miller made the most of his chances and led the game with 44 yards on 9 carries. He showed a good burst. He looked like an NFL caliber RB.
RB LeGarrette Blount --- Looked good in an NFL offense. Got to run downhill instead of going e-w. Blount had 7 carries for 37 yards. Ran behind his pads. Showed some athletic ability. Best play was a 14-yard TD run. Got good blocking, but was fast enough to take advantage of it and get in for the score. Jumped from inside the 5-yard line and just sort of floated in.
DT Dan Williams --- He wasn't as flashy as other players, but Williams had a real good game. He was stout in the middle. He was quick off the ball. I knew Williams was good, but I was surprised to how well he played.
LB Sean Weatherspoon --- Good game. Sean had 5 tackles, picked off a pass, and broke up a pass in the end zone. He looked athletic at 241 pounds. His coverage skills will get plenty of teams excited, whether at MLB or WLB.
LB Koa Misi --- He had a sack, FF. He was unblocked on the play, but still took advantage of the situation. He later made a good tackle of Tebow in the open field on a 3rd down. Misi led the North team with 6 tackles.
S Taylor Mays --- The big question with him was whether he could start playing the ball and quit going for hits. Mays picked off a pass near the goal line when the QB was late with his throw. Why couldn't he have shown more of that at USC? Didn't really stand out in the game, but that INT was a good sign.
__________________________________
1-30-10
Senior Bowl - What I'm Looking For
NORTH
* WR Taylor Price --- He had a good week of practice. Now I want to see how he performs in the game. If he can play well today that will raise his value even more.
* RB LeGarrette Blount --- At Oregon he did a lot of east-west running because of the design of the offense. I want to see how he looks as a downhill runner in the game.
* RB Joicque Bell --- D2 kid gets a chance to show his stuff against the big boys. Does he have NFL talent?
* QB Dan LeFevour --- Dan had a good week and looked like a quality prospect. Can he function in a conventional offense in an actual game? A good showing today could push him into the 2nd round.
* OL Zane Beadles --- He had a rough week of practice. He moved around a lot (G, RT, and LT). Zane isn't huge or athletic and that showed in the drills. I do think he is the type of player who could shine in the game.
* OL Vlad Ducasse --- He should get a lot of time at LT. I look forward to seeing how he does in pass pro against athletic rushers.
* OL Mike Iupati --- Mike had a great week. Can he carry that over to the game? Will he play any OT or just G?
* DE Alex Carrington --- Helped himself a lot with his showing this week. I wonder if he won't get exposed a bit in the game. Needs to show he can rush the QB.
* DE Austen Lane --- Big opportunity for Lane. He was okay this week, but didn't stand out. He might be one of those guys who plays better in a game setting than practice. Big focus for me is whether he can pressure the QB.
* DT Jared Odrick --- Another guy who had a great week. A strong showing in the game will likely seal a 1st round selection for him.
* DT Cam Thomas --- Up and down in the practice sessions. I want to see consistent effort and a good motor today. You can't coach his kind of size, but Cam needs to show that he'll battle every snap.
* LB Darryl Washington --- Had a strong week of practice. There is talk of him being a 1st round player. I'm not quite on that bandwagon yet, but let's see what he does in the game. I have high expectations.
* LB Sean Weatherspoon --- He's in top shape right now after playing heavy this year. I want to see Sean flying around and getting to the ball. I'm still not sure what his value is.
* CB Chris Cook --- Really surprised me with how well he played this week. I'm interested to see if he can carry that over to the game. Chris is a big CB, but looked very good in coverage as well.
* CB Brandon Ghee --- Is he a 1st rounder? Looked pretty good this week, but a strong showing would make me more comfortable with giving him a Top 32 grade. I'd love to see him get to play the ball. Does he have good hands?
* CB Syd'Quan Thompson --- Struggled this week. Lack of speed got exposed. I think Syd'Quan is more of a gamer and expect him to look better today. I hope a deep ball comes his way so we can see him in that situation in a game.
* CB Kyle Wilson --- Best CB in Mobile. A good game could cement him a 1st round grade.
SOUTH
* WR Dexter McCluster --- Great week. Fun guy to watch with the ball in his hands. I'm excited to see what he can do in the game.
* WR Andre Roberts --- Up and down week. I want to see what he can do in a game situation against big time competition.
* RB Anthony Dixon --- Great workhorse back this year for Mississippi State. How does he fare being shuttled in and out of the game? How good can Dixon be on 8-12 carries instead of 25?
* South QBs --- I want to see all the guys in a game setting. Tim Tebow, Zac Robinson, and Jarrett Brown all had good moments this week. Each guy can do himself a lot of good with a good showing in the game. Tebow will probably be a 2nd rounder no matter what. The other guys are fighting to move up the rankings.
* OL Selvish Capers --- I hope we get to see him play some LT. Capers was a RT at West Va. He's got the build to play on the left side. I'm just not sure if he's got the feet.
* OL John Jerry --- Very good week of practice. I want to see him against the very talented North DL. I'm also curious if Jerry will get any reps at OT or play strictly at G.
* DT Terrence Cody --- Can he push the pocket on pass plays? What kind of motor does he have? Cody was a NT at 'Bama, but he'll be playing DT in this game. He can't just occupy blockers today.
* DT Lamarr Houston --- I'm real high on Houston. I see him as a 2nd rounder. I'm excited to see how he plays today.
* DE Brandon Lang --- I didn't think was all that impressive as a pass rusher this week. I want to see if he's better in the game.
* DE George Selvie --- George helped himself by weighing in at 247 pounds. He was okay in the practices. Now we need to see if he can get to the QB in the game.
* LB Eric Norwood --- Eric was great at South Carolina where they used him creatively and let him get after the QB a lot. Now we see him playing "just" LB. Can he still be a good player in this role?
* LB Cameron Sheffield --- Played DE at Troy. He projects more to LB in the NFL. I want to see how he looks at LB in a full game.
* FS Nate Allen --- Had a very good week. Looks like a solid 2nd rounder at this point. Can he go even higher?
* FS Taylor Mays --- Had an okay week. Needs to show us something. Be a physical force. Play the ball well. Do something. Taylor is huge and fast, but that isn't good if it doesn't show up on tape.
* CB Patrick Robinson --- Had a down season, but has shown his terrific ability in Mobile. A good game will help his value. Has 1st round ability, but didn't play up to that during the year.
* SS Myron Rolle --- The Rhodes Scholar has put down the books and picked up the cleats. Can he make plays? Can he perform at a high level against good players after sitting out the year?
___________________________________
1-28-10
Notes on Wednesday's Senior Bowl Practices.
NORTH
-Offense-
The 3 QBs for the North squad (Sean Canfield, Tony Pike, and Dan LeFevour) all had solid days. LeFevour continues to impress me the most of the trio. He's the most physically gifted and seems to be throwing the ball the best. Canfield struggled with some throws early in the week, but he's gotten better. I'm still not sure if any team that has to deal with wind should have legitimate interest in him.
A couple of WRs helped themselves. Jacoby Ford finally made some plays. He got open vs Wilson and made a nice catch on short route. He had a real impressive downfield catch vs Wilson. Got by him with speed. Stayed tight to the numbers and then had room to go wide to get the pass (slightly off target) by the sideline. Really nice play.
Big receivers Danario Alexander and Dorin Dickerson had their best days. Alexander continues to show a feel for getting open. He did have to double-catch the ball on a pass he caught vs Devin McCourty. You don't want a big possession type receiver like him bobbling easy passes. Dickerson showed some speed on a deep route. He also caught the ball well on short routes. He seems to be making better use of his size.
Taylor Price had a drop on short pass, but made up for that with a good catch along the sideline. Donald Jones of Youngstown State was added to the roster. Jones has NFL size at 6'1, 210. He's also pretty talented. He was headed to Ole Miss at one point, but ended up at YSU. Jones was a bit rusty, but didn't look overmatched at all.
We didn't get to see much of the RBs. FB Cory Jackson made a good catch in 7-on-7. Plucked the ball smoothly.
OT Vlad Ducasse played LT in the team session. He looked much more comfortable there than in the drills. Shaun Lauvao is a player I've liked all year. He won't appeal to all 32 teams. Lauvao has skinny lower legs. He weighs 301, but doesn't have the frame to add much more than that. Might be a good fit for the Shanahan system. Matt Tennant is playing both G and C. He's gotten better each day. Zane Beadles has struggled. They've used him at G, LT, and RT. I think Beadles is better suited for the games, but he has had a rough week.
Mike Iupati is off in his own little world. He is dominant. He has quick feet, thick legs, strong hands, and he's deadly whether reacting in pass pro or attacking on a run play. You might beat him initially, but he recovers quickly. He moves well enough to get in position and stop your move. He's also big and strong enough to simply overpower the defender. He played some RT and looked pretty natural out there. That might be the best spot for him initially.
-Defense-
Jared Odrick had a very good day. He is quick off the ball and relentless when trying to get off blocks. Odrick is a good pass rusher. He was very disruptive in the team session, blowing up a couple of plays. I was hoping to get a good feel for Austen Lane this week, but that hasn't happened. The coverage by the NFL Network hasn't been great and Lane hasn't really stood out. Lane got beaten by bootlegs a couple of times during the team session. Didn't show ideal COD ability. You love a DE who can fluidly turn and chase the play. He wasn't so smooth. Lane has a good motor. He will chase plays. Effort guy. He doesn't show any suddenness and that has disappointed me.
Brandon Graham has been the best pass rusher in Mobile. He's played both sides. He has beaten multiple guys. Graham flies off the ball. He can go hard inside, use a spin move, or beat the OT around the edge. Graham has looked terrific each day. He's really helped his cause with this performance.
Cam Thomas is a player that flashes. He's 330 pounds. Sometimes he looks powerful and agile. Other times he looks heavy and slow. I'm not sure what to think right now. He does have potential. I think Mike Neal has looked good. A few times I found myself reviewing a play and trying to figure out who was so quick off the ball. It was Neal. Alex Carrington has gotten some hype. He had a good showing the first couple of days. I'm still waiting to see him show me some pass rush ability. I know he can bull rush, but that's not enough. Even at LDE you need a guy to show a feel for getting to the QB.
We haven't seen nearly enough of the LBs. Koa Misi got some reps in pass rush drills vs OL. Misi is a try hard, bull rush type. You can see he's not explosive or a gifted athlete. He's a good player with a very good motor. Physical. Donald Butler looks okay. He is a solid tackler on inside runs. I was hoping to see him in some coverage drills to get a better feel for his potential as a WLB. That hasn't really happened.
Chris Cook had another good day. This guy has really impressed me. He's got great size at 6'2, 212, but doesn't play like a big, stiff DB. Cook is able to run with receivers and looks agile enough to cut and break on the ball. He had tight coverage on Jones downfield. Cook is also a good press CB, as you might imagine with a guy his size. Another CB with some size is Brandon Ghee. He loves to press and get physical with receivers. He had a good PBU when covering Gilyard. Ghee can be a bit "handsy" with receivers and that won't work in the NFL. Officials won't let young DBs get away with a lot of contact.
One player who didn't have a good day was Syd'Quan Thompson. He got beat by Dickerson on a downfield throw. It isn't a good sign when someone outweighs you by 40 pounds and runs by you. Thompson did well on a couple of plays in the team session. I like him a lot, but his deep speed is a major concern.
_____________________________________
SOUTH
-Offense-
The South QBs have gotten markedly better each day. Tim Tebow had one great pass, a deep ball to Jimmy Graham about 40 yards downfield. Perfect placement on the throw. Graham was tightly covered, but still made the grab. Zac Robinson is finally playing like the guy we expected to see back in August. He's throwing the ball well. He had some passes go a bit high, but generally had a strong day. Jarrett Brown definitely looks like the real deal. We know he can throw the ball. The game will be critical for him and determining his value.
Dexter McCluster had a good day, but wasn't quite as spectacular as Tuesday. Dexter continued to shine as a receiver. He used a great move to get inside of LB and open for a short pass. That sounds simple, but most young RBs are lost when it comes to running a route or getting open. Dexter did have one struggle. He got tossed aside in pass pro drill and looked like a rag doll.
Ben Tate had a good day. He ran hard and did well in the pass pro drill. Great effort. Stafon Johnson ran well in the team sessions. Antonio Dixon had some good moments.
Andre Roberts had his best day. He looked quick, elusive. His routes are still sloppy. I think dealing with really good DBs has been a tough adjustment for him. Riley Cooper loves press coverage. He's big and strong enough to get right by the CB. Riley also knows a trick or two.
John Jerry got some reps at LT in the team session. That was an interesting sight. I didn't see him pass block from that spot. Jerry has looked pretty good, but he's a RT or G. Jeff Byers has seen time at C and G. You can tell he's a real experienced guy by the way he plays and isn't caught off guard by anything. Selvish Capers has played LT. I haven't seen enough to have a good feel for him on that side, but he didn't look completely lost.
-Defense-
We saw the defense in some simple drills. That gives you a good idea of the kind of athletes the guys are. Terrence Cody was funny to watch in one bag drill. Seeing him swat the bags was like seeing Godzilla swat at attacking airplanes in the old movies. Cody isn't the most flexible guy, but he is powerful.
DE Antonio Coleman looked stiff, upright in the bag drill. He had to turn his whole body. Does the man have any hips? George Selvie was much better. He looked fluid in the bag drill. Jeff Owens showed excellent power.
LB Cameron Sheffield is on the move this week. He played DE at Troy. Cameron has been up and down in his trial at LB. He looks a bit stiff in the hips. He did break up a pass in 1-on-1 drill. Got beaten by McCoy while in coverage. Looked lost on that play.
Both Eric Norwood and Darryl Sharpton stood out in the LB pass rush drill. Norwood is a gifted pass rusher with ability and experience. Sharpton just blew up anyone in his way. Good effort. I've been disappointed in Dekoda Watson. He was a terrific all around LB at Florida State. Dekoda hasn't really stood out as blitzer, cover guy, or vs run.
Nate Allen continues to impress. He looks comfortable in man coverage, which not all Safeties do. Taylor Mays had one noteworthy play. He ripped the ball away from WR after a short catch. Harry Coleman had some good moments. He plays smart and shows good awareness.
Jerome Murphy was the CB who got my attention. He is very physical. Jerome is a good press corner. He's got some size, but isn't huge. He is athletic enough to shadow receivers after they get off his jam. Javier Arenas is still up and down. He is quick and can cover, but his lack of speed is a concern. Perrish Cox is a good press CB. The jury is still out on Myron Rolle. He hasn't wowed anyone, but also hasn't looked overly rusty. The game will be critical for Rolle to show something to scouts and coaches.
__________________________________
1-27-10
Notes on Tuesday's Senior Bowl Practices.
NORTH
-Offense-
* QB Dan LeFevour - threw the ball pretty well. Looked better throwing to his left than right. Had some real good drops in the throwing drills. Shows a lot of promise. Made a couple of good throws in the 7-on-7 drill. One was to the sideline and the other a post route.
* QB Tony Pike - worked to get the ball out quickly. Looked okay mechanically. Threw a pretty nice ball.
* QB Sean Canfield - another day when he wasn't real impressive with his throws. He's pushing the ball more than you like. His passes lack zip.
* TE Ed Dickson - looks the part. Muscular, but sleek. Handled overly-physical coverage by Skinner and still caught a short pass. That's what you want from a TE. Ran away from a Safety after making a catch down the field.
* TE Garrett Graham - showed the ability to run a good route and get separation from a defender. Smaller than expected.
* WR Jacoby Ford - struggled. Didn't look as fast as his game tape. Didn't sell routes well or get open with regularity. His routes weren't crisp. He didn't play with confidence or make good cuts.
* WR Taylor Price - continued to impress. Big and fast. Knows how to get open. Has good hands. Looks like an NFL WR. Comfortable vs press or off coverage. Not bothered at all by the step up in competition.
* WR Dorin Dickerson - struggled to get open. Lacks the speed to beat good DBs in 1-on-1 drills. Needs to play hybrid TE role where he gets a mismatch. Going up vs fast DBs isn't good for him.
* WR Mardy Gilyard - did an excellent job of getting open. Used his hands well to beat the jam. Was home free once he had the clean release. Ran good routes once he got off the ball. Impressive for a guy who is only 179 pounds.
* WR Danario Alexander - showed the ability to beat press coverage. Best play was when he used a good move to get inside Wilson on a release and plucked the ball for a nice gain. Played up to his size, which is important. Did have a drop in 7-on-7 drill.
* RBs --- They aren't showing us much of any running drills. We aren't getting to see the guys catch passes. We did see pass blocking. The North RBs were awful. Effort, form, and technique were very disappointing.
* OT Zane Beadles - struggling the first couple of days. Don't make too much of that. Zane is a gamer. I will only get worried if he struggles on Saturday. Playing both LT and RT. Big problem is that he's unsure and that gets him off-balance and has him lunging at the defender.
* OL Mike Iupati - dominated at G. Able to handle quick moves. Able to stonewall guys that tried to bull rush. Moved outside to LT for a few reps. Struggled out there. Physical ability wasn't the problem so much as poor technique. Might have OT potential.
* OL Matt Tennant - anchored well. Good effort. Used his hands well. Thomas struggled on those plays. Shifted over to LG for some snaps. Struggled with Alualu. His quickness off the ball was a problem. Tennant was also adjusting to not snapping and therefore having to react rather than attack.
* OG Shaun Lauvao - did a solid job on Odrick. Locked on and was able to mirror and stick with him. Lauvao played LT this year and that helped him vs Odrick. I wish I could have seen him deal with a bull rush from a power DT. That's the area I'm curious about.
* OL Vlad Ducasse - played both LT and G. Up and down. Graham badly beat him at LT with an inside move. The next rep Graham went wide and Ducasse got his hands on him. Vlad won that battle. Struggled at G with a quick inside move. Ducasse has NFL ability, but moving around and adjusting to the level of competition is overwhelming him a bit. The raw ability is there. Needs work.
* OT Sam Young - played RT. Used positioning and long arms to control Alaulau.
* OL Ed Wang - doesn't look like a LT. Beaten by Austen Lane to the inside. Did better vs bullrush. Has thick legs and an okay build, but doesn't look like a LT candidate at the next level.
* OC Eric Olsen - had a long day. He struggled with quickness and power. Eric moved his feet well, but had a hard time trying to anchor. He gave too much ground when guys bull rushed.
-Defense-
* DE Alex Carrington - looks the part of a LDE at 6'5, 284. Used a bull rush move effectively. Doesn't show much of an array of moves. Goes hard, but lacks the kind of burst/quickness you want in a pass rusher.
* DE Brandon Graham - played both sides. Used a hard inside move at RDE to win. Used a spin move at LDE to win. Great motor and tenacious player. You do wonder how he'll shed blocks at the NFL level, being only 6'1 and having short arms.
* DT D'Anthony Smith - struggled vs Iupati. Tried burst & bull rush neither worked. Had better success with quick move vs Ducasse. Smith has a thick lower body. Good burst and motor. Used his hands well when he got by Vlad.
* DT Mike Neal - drove Olsen backward. Used good burst, leverage. Neal is quick off the ball, but isn't a finesse guy. He'll battle to get to the ball.
* DE Austen Lane - has looked okay. We haven't seen enough of his reps. I wish they'd focus on him since he's a small school guy finally getting to face good competition. Used an inside move to beat Ed Wang. Tried a bull rush and got blocked. I still want to get a feel for how athletic he is.
* DT Tyson Alualu - looked good as the cocked NT. Quick off the ball. Flew by Tennant with ease. Needs to work on shedding blocks.
* DT Cam Thomas - is mainly a power guy. He struggled to get push vs Tennant, but did better vs Olsen. Cam showed more movement the 2nd time around. Big guy. Goes 330 and isn't fat.
* LB Darryl Washington - has quick feet. Only goes 229 pounds, but he's a good athlete. Looks like a WLB.
* S Terrell Skinner - too physical in coverage. That worked well in the drills in Mobile, but it won't fly in NFL games. Must learn to cover using ability and technique. Or build a time machine.
* S Kurt Coleman - only looked so-so in coverage drills. Not a gifted man-cover guy. I expect him to look much better in the game.
* S Larry Asante - physical with receivers, but in a reasonable way. Strong enough to get a good jam on a big TE. Shows some athletic ability.
* CB Devin McCourty - good break on the ball. Has an excellent burst. Ball skills need to be better.
* CB Chris Cook - had and up and down showing. Looked good physically. Broke up a pass to Dickerson and looked good. Got beat to the inside a few times, but that is a simple technique issue that can be fixed. I'm impressed with his ability to stick with receivers and break on the ball. Good showing.
* CB Kyle Wilson - had another strong day. He knows how to cover and plays with a lot of confidence. Very aggressive player.
* CB Brandon Ghee - showed excellent agility and body control when he twisted and reached back to break up a downfield pass headed to Ford. Good speed. Lean build.
* CB Syd'Quan Thompson - missed a jam on Gilyard and let the WR get open downfield. Would have been an easy TD. Lacks speed. Physical player. Confident guy. Not bothered by getting beat.
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SOUTH
-Offense-
* QB Tim Tebow - first few passes weren't impressive. Had some slow balls. Delivery is painful to watch at times. Good touch on some throws. Can get the ball down the field. Up and down, but nothing we didn't expect.
* QB Zac Robinson - threw the ball well. He had good velocity. His passes were pretty accurate. Threw the ball like an NFL QB.
* QB Jarrett Brown - has the best arm in Mobile. Sloppy at times, but can really sling the ball when he lets loose a good pass. Ran the ball on QB draws a couple of times. Well built and physically gifted.
* TE Jimmy Graham - looks the part. Big guy, but also athletic. Has a basketball background, but had a good season and looked good in the practices.
* WR Riley Cooper - had an up and down showing. Made a weird one-hand attempt at catch, but dropped the ball. Had a bad drop later on. Knows how to get open. Beats the press. Must catch the ball better and more consistently.
* WR Joe Webb - is a size/speed guy, but needs a lot of work. He might be 6'4, 220, but Joe is a major project for some team. He isn't a natural route runner. He is a good athlete and does show potential.
* WR Jeremy Williams - ran good routes and showed the ability to get open. Got a good break to create separation from CB. Pretty good size.
* WR Shay Hodge - had a good day. He makes things look pretty natural. Catches the ball well. Runs good routes. Smooth player. Had a good downfield catch.
* WR Andre Roberts - needs work on his routes, release. Struggled getting of the jam of Patrick Robinson. Roberts is athletic. He doesn't look overmatched in that sense.
* RB Ben Tate - showed some speed on outside run. Good thick build.
* WR/RB Dexter McCluster - stole the show. Tim who? Dexter beat Arenas on downfield pass. Ran a great route. Located the ball and made the catch. Very impressive. Beat Perrish Cox to the inside and caught a pass. Did have one drop, but went to the sideline and did push-ups. That's a good sign. Looked tough on an inside run in the team session. He's only 165 pounds and doesn't have a clear position, but he was really impressive. Dexter is a weapon. He doesn't fit a conventional role.
* OL Jeff Byers - veteran blocker won his share of battles. Jeff is smart, experienced. He handled different moves from different guys and had an answer for most of them.
* OL John Jerry - had a solid showing. He held his ground vs the bull rush. Jerry is 332 pounds and can move okay.
* OL Ciron Black - played some LT. Shut down Lang with ease. Not a good sign for Brandon. Black plays too upright.
* OL Chris Scott - saw time at RT. He's too upright. He doesn't have great feet. Big, strong guy who will win the battle if he gets his hands on you.
* OC Ted Larsen - got completely overmatched when facing Cody, but never gave up. Fought the good fight. Lacks the kind of size and strength to deal with guys like that.
* OG Mike Johnson - stood out a couple of plays in the team session. Pulled well and looked good blocking on the move.
-Defense-
* DT Geno Atkins - is tough to block inside. He's very quick off the ball. Loves to attack upfield. Will struggle if you get your hands on him.
* DT Lamar Houston - held up vs double team. Got blocked, but stayed pretty square to the LOS, which is important.
* DE George Selvie - didn't handle run blocks so well. Double team got him turned and moved off the ball. Weighed in at 247 pounds. That's huge for him.
* DE Brandon Lang - not overly impressive so far. Doesn't show a special burst. Tried a bull rush and got little push.
* DE Antonio Coleman - beat J. Scott with an inside move. Then got blocked going outside on the next snap. Struggled once the blocker's hands were on him.
* DT Dan Williams - has a thick DT body. He's 6'2, 329. Williams is a power guy. Got some push with a good bull rush right up the middle. Does have some quickness off the ball.
* DT Terrence Cody - had a solid day. He had no problem with the double team. Terrence just engaged one guy and stoned him. The other blocker slid off him. Cody did okay in the pass rush drill. He shed one blocker with his hands. Then beat Larsen with bull rush.
* S Taylor Mays - was big and physical. He didn't fare so well in the 1-on-1 cover drills. I didn't expect him to. Most Safeties aren't comfortable with that. Did show his speed.
* S Nate Allen - did okay in man coverage drills. Good job vs Jeremy Williams. Nate was the best looking man-cover S of either team. It still isn't his forte. Good size at 6'1, 205.
* CB Javier Arenas - had a solid day. I still wonder about his top speed. McCluster got by him on a downfield route. Arenas is very good underneath. His hips looked pretty fluid. Thick build for a CB. Only 5'9, but goes 195. I wonder if any team will think of him as a Safety.
* CB Patrick Robinson - has good feet. He's smooth in his backpedal. Gets a good break on the ball. Had a physical jam of Roberts that blew up that pass.
* S Myron Rolle - is alive. Hadn't seen him play in a long time. Myron has a skinny body. He is not a LB. Didn't look natural in man coverage. Probably rusty from the time off. Still, man coverage was never his specialty.
* CB Trevard Lindley - was okay. He played off. Got beaten on slant by Hodge. Didn't show a great burst to the ball.
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older notes are archived in the forums section
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Around the NFL
** Notes **
WEEK 15
* Chad Henne is not a player that I thought very highly of, but he has developed into a good starting QB. He has a winning record this year as the starter. Strong arm. Accurate. Good on sideline throws. Henne is a good fit for the Dolphins offense. That attack is built on running the ball and mixing in the passing game. There are times when Chad shows his youth. He made one horrible decision vs TEN. Under heavy pressure, Henne threw a ball toward the sideline. Nick Harper was able to pick it off. Some times you just have to eat the ball and move on to the next play or the next possession.
* The Dolphins lack a star receiver, but have developed a good group. Davonne Bess is a key weapon on 3rd downs. Brian Hartline and Greg Camarillo have some size and good skills. Ted Ginn is the speedster. Ideally you'd like Ginn to be more than a role player because of his potential, but that's all you can count on him for at this point. Hartline made a great catch late in the game that helped to send it to overtime.
* Darren Sharper had a bad game vs Dallas. He tackled poorly. He took poor angles and was slow to the ball. I know he's had an unbelievable year for the Saints as a ballhawk, but a lot of those plays have come with New Orleans sitting on a big lead. That enabled Sharper to know teams would throw and let him attack the ball. He was a liability at times in the Dallas game. There is a reason the Vikings let him go in the offseason.
* I've mentioned Falcons Safety Thomas DeCoud earlier in the year. He is a player on the rise. DeCoud had a good INT vs Jets. Batted the ball to himself. That gives him 3 picks for the year. He's also got a couple of sacks and is one of the leading tacklers on the team.
* Buffalo has had a ton of injuries and Bryan Scott is now playing LB. He played CB at Penn State. He's mostly played Safety in the NFL. Now he's part of the front seven. Scott is good in the box, but he clearly lacks the bulk and strength to fight off blocks on a regular basis. He had 10 tackles vs the Chiefs and played well, but wasn't so good last week against the Pats. Ideally, he's still a SS in the future.
* One Bills LB that is playing really well is Paul Posluszny. He leads the team in tackles, despite missing time with a broken arm. Poz had an impressive INT on a pass over the middle last week. He reached out and plucked a ball headed for Welker. He also added a big TFL on a run play. Poz definitely looks like the MLB that the Bills wanted when they took him a few years ago. Not only is he a good tackler, but he has 3 picks and 3 FFs on the season. You love a MLB that can create turnovers.
* DT Mike Wright is having a good season for the Patriots. He had 6 tackles and a sack vs BUF. Wright now has 5 sacks on the year. He makes plays more with effort than talent, but that's okay for a DT.
* Chris Long has been disappointing in his first 1.5 seasons in the NFL. I watched him last week and the Rams now have him playing at LDE. He looked much more comfortable on that side. He used a good spin move to get pressure. Almost got a sack on the play. His numbers still aren't great (4 sacks), but he passed the eyeball test. This kid is too talented and too high character not to pan out on some level. I don't know that he'll ever be "special", but I was encouraged by his performance.
* Josh Cribbs ran back 2 KOs for TDs. Amazing. If you look at recent dynamos like Devin Hester and Dante Hall they accomplished great things in a short period. Cribbs is less dynamic, but still very special. He has a return TD in 5 straight seasons. That's consistent excellence.
* Brady Quinn ran really well last week. It gave a boost to the offense. Unfortunately, he got hurt on one of the runs. His passing is still...not awesome. He was 10 of 17 for 66 yards. I'm very interested to see what Holmgren does at QB for that team.
* Jerome Harrison had a phenomenal day, running for 286 yards. I thought he'd be a good NFL role player, but 286??? I went back and re-read some notes. One interesting thing is that he had 3 games of more than 200 yards on the ground as a Senior. When he hits a seam, Harrison has the burst to turn short gains into long runs. That was certainly true last week.
* One of the few bright spots in the WAS debacle from Monday night was the play of TE Fred Davis. He caught 5 passes for 65 yards. He's starting to look like the quality receiver we saw at USC.
ROOKIE WATCH
* Titans LB Gerald McRath made his first NFL start against Miami. He finished with 10 tackles and looked okay.
* Beanie Wells has looked very good for the Cardinals in recent weeks. He had his first 100-yard game last week vs Detroit. Wells was 17-110-1. His long run was 34 yards. He also added a 23-yard TD run that put ARZ back on top in the game.
* Mark Sanchez had a rough game in cold weather last week. He threw 3 INTs, one of them a late pick. That was a bad read and bad throw. The Jets only put up 7 points, but FG problems were part of that. Huge loss for the Jets. With a veteran QB they probably win, but you have to accept growing pains when you start a rookie.
* Derrick Williams had a good KO return in the 4th Qtr vs ARZ. He took a KO 32 yards out to the 38 yard line. Looked fluid, natural on the run. The Lions goal was for Derrick to be a backup WR and the RS. He's a little behind schedule, but is starting to look like a good KOR.
* Louis Delmas has had a good rookie year. Last week he had a pick-6. Delmas picked a ball in his end zone and returned it more than 100 yards for the score. He's second on the team in tackles. He's been effective in the box and out in space. He does make some rookie mistakes, but there is a lot to like.
* CB Tony Carter got on the field for Denver last week. They've played a few rookie DBs this year. Darcel McBath and David Bruton have both seen time. The one guy I loved was Alphonso Smith, but he is firmly on the bench. He's played a little, but the team is disappointed with him.
* Rookie Tyler Polumbus is now starting at RT for the Broncos. He needs some work. He's got 6 starts on the year. He's given up 5 sacks. Polumbus has potential. He's got good feet. Biggest problem is that he must play stronger. He doesn't anchor well. I've seen a few DEs drive him backward easily.
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WEEK 14
* CB Leon Hall is playing well for Cincy. He had a real good game vs MIN. Hall had 7 tackles, a PBU and an INT. Hall is a gifted cover guy and plays the ball well. He's got 5 INTs on the season. He also has 19 PDs and 2 FFs.
* LB Tamba Hali is quietly having a good year. He played DE prior to this season, but seems to be a good fit for OLB in the 3-4. Hali has 7.5 sacks, 4 TFLs, and 4 FFs. He's not an explosive pass rusher, but he has a great motor. He's quick off the ball and plays with good leverage. That sack total may not sound great, but understand that last year the Chiefs as a team had 10 sacks. 10. Wow.
* Brandon Marshall set a new NFL record by making 21 catches vs the Colts. Denver lost, but that was still a great showing by Marshall. He only had 200 yards on the day. Marshall averages just 11.7 yards per reception for the season. That isn't due to lack of talent. Workhorse receivers are going to catch a good amount of short passes and that will affect their average.
* Brian Dawkins had 2 picks on deflected passes. He's played pretty well for the Broncos this year. Those are his only INTs on the year, but he's 2nd on the team in tackles. He also has 4 TFLs and a FF. His leadership has been important to the Broncos success.
* Darren McFadden has had a disappointing season. He's only run for 251 yards and 1 TD. I was impressed with his performance last week...as a receiver. McFadden lined up wide to the right. He ran a slant, caught the ball, and turned it into a long gain. LaRon Landry tried to cover him, but McFadden ran a good route and was wide open on the play. He later caught a pass when lined up wide left. That was a downfield catch that showed a good adjustment to the ball. For the year he averages more than 21 yards per catch. Now let's work on that running.
* Bruce Gradkowski is making a difference in Oakland. He brings confidence and energy to the offense. I hated to see him go down with a knee injury. I've liked Bruce since he was at Toledo. He took advantage of his opportunity to play this year and showed that at the very least he can be a good backup QB.
* Chris Johnson had 2 long TDs vs the Rams in the 1st Qtr. He had a 39-yard run. Chris moved around looking for the hole, saw an opening, and then exploded upfield. He also caught a short pass and took that one all the way. That was easier. He weaved through some defenders, but did so on the move and made it look easy.
* Mike Tolbert of the Chargers is a good young FB. The league is having a hard time finding good FBs these days because of the spread offense in college. That eliminates the FB from a lot of college offenses, at least as a regular position. Tolbert is a very good receiver. He is a solid blocker. He also is a key contributor on STs.
* ILB Stephen Cooper came up big for SD in their win at Dallas. He only had 3 tackles, but he broke up 2 passes and had a FF. Cooper almost picked off both of the passes. He was in good position and saw the ball, but doesn't have great hands. The FF came on a run play when he just knocked the ball away from Felix Jones. Cooper leads the Chargers in tackles for the year.
* Another Charger LB came up big in that game. Brandon Siler played well in the GL series. He was stout in the middle. Siler got to the RB and stood his ground. Made the stop on 4th/GL. Also had a TFL and sack in the game.
* One quick note about St. Louis. The Rams are arguably the worst team in the league, but they play hard, no matter what the score. That's a sign that Coach Steve Spagnuolo is doing something right. He needs to get some good player before that situation will change, but I give him a lot of credit for keeping the team motivated.
* S Dashon Goldson had a huge game for SF on Monday night. He had 6 tackles, an INT, 2 PDs, and 2 FFs. Goldson can be a sloppy tackler, but he can also be an impact hitter. If he'll focus on tackling and the subtleties of coverage he could develop into a real good Safety.
ROOKIE WATCH
* Darcel McBath had an INT off Peyton Manning. McBath has 2 picks on the year.
* Jasper Brinkley is now starting at MLB for MIN. He's a good tackler. Has some real pop. He did get burned on a run where he overran the gap and left a big void.
* Austin Collie is having a good year for the Colts. He has 53 catches and 7 TDs. Peyton seems to trust him. Collie made a key catch on drive in 4th quarter that moved the chains.
* Another pick for Jairus Byrd. Got a tipped ball on 4th down to seal the game. Smartly went down rather than trying to run the ball all the way back. Byrd now has 9 picks on the year. He almost got #10 on the final play of the game, but a teammate stole it away from him.
* Larry English used a great inside move to beat the RT and almost get Romo for a safety. He's got 2 sacks on the year and has looked pretty good.
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WEEK 13
Limited notes this week. I had family visiting and wasn't able to take in my normal amount of games.
* The Packers defense has come a long way from early on in the season. The DL is solid. The LBs are starting to make plays, which is crucial to the 3-4. Rookie Clay Matthews has 7 sacks on the year and is quickly becoming a force off the edge. He's quick and athletic. He also has a great motor. He will fight to get off blocks. Aaron Kampman is done for the year. Rookie Brad Jones is starting to get regular playing time. I liked him coming out of Colorado. Jones played LB and DE for the Buffs. He showed an ability to regularly get in the backfield and make plays. He only has 1 sack so far in the NFL, but he is a player to watch.
The secondary is all over the place. CB Tramon Williams is a walking pass interference penalty. He can cover, but has a hard time not making contact with the receiver. CB Charles Woodson is having a phenomenal year. Check out these numbers: 2nd on the team in solo tackles, 2 sacks, 5 TFLs, 4 FFs, 7 INTs, 11 PDs. That is amazing stuff from a CB. In the game he made a sensational tackle of a RB near the goal line. Charles isn't just making plays. He's making timely plays that offer big impact.
* Bills DT Kyle Williams is having a good year. He is quick off the ball. He has a great motor. He's not huge, but will battle on every snap. BUF might be really tough in the middle if Marcus Stroud was playing up to his ability. Williams is 6th on the team in tackles. He has 3 sacks, 7 TFLs, and a FF. The Bills have had a disappointing season, but they have found a few good players. Williams is key up front. S Jairus Byrd is a ballhawk. Paul Posluszny is a good MLB. Those 3 guys all play in the middle of the field. You need a defense to be sound up the middle so Bills fans should be encouraged by this. The Bills still need help at OLB and DE.
* LaRon Landry is as talented as any Safety in the NFL. He's big, fast, and has excellent ability. Landry also consistently makes me want to bang my head on a wall. He doesn't not show good situational awareness, which is important for all players, but critical for Safeties. Against the Saints he got burned for the tying TD at the end of the game. Landry bit on a pump fake. The Saints were at midfield with less than 2 minutes to go. How on earth does a S bit on a fake? The general rule of thumb for Safeties is to stay "deeper than the deepest". In other words...don't let anyone get behind you. That rule is absolute when protecting a lead at the end of a game. I have no idea what Landry was thinking. Dumb, dumb, and dumb.
QB Jason Campbell played great in the game, 30-42-367. He had 3 TDs and 1 pick. The INT was horrible. After Landry gave up the long TD to tie the game WAS got the ball back. They drove out near midfield and only needed 25 more yards to get in good FG range. NO ran a corner blitz off the left side. Campbell looked that way initially. You always want to throw where the blitz is coming from. Someone should be open. Instead he wheeled around and threw toward the right sideline. A DB was able to pick the pass and send the game to OT, where the Skins lost. Campbell can't make a critical mistake like that. It undoes all the good work of the first 59 minutes of the game.
* Subtle things can change a game and have big impact on a season. In the NYG/DAL game on Sunday there was such a small moment. LB Anthony Spencer wanted to make sure he got a good jam on the TE as he tried to release. Spencer engaged him at the snap and took a step inside to stick with the TE for an extra half second. RB Brandon Jacobs released into the flat. Spencer had him in coverage and then had to get wide on the play. Jacobs caught the ball and quickly turned upfield. Spencer wasn't able to get out there. He then did get going in pursuit. The play was also helped by the fact that ILB Bradie James took a poor pursuit angle. He should have stopped the play for a 15 or so yard gain. Instead it went 74 yards for a TD and helped the Giants save their season (for at least one week). It also gave Dallas a December loss and brought up the nagging questions about why they can't win after Thanksgiving.
ROOKIE WATCH
* QB Josh Freeman had a bad game vs CAR. Josh threw 5 INTs. Some were due to bad decisions. At least one was due to poor mechanics. Josh held the ball by his side and then overthrew a WR on dig route. The ball sailed. He must hold that ball up closer to his ear. Keeping down by your side won't work in the NFL. The elongated motion affected the throw and led to the poor accuracy.
* CB Jacob Lacey started for the Colts. He had an up and down game. Lacey picked off a pass along the sideline by jumping in front of Kenny Britt. Later, Britt beat him for a short TD.
* Falcons DE Lawrence Sidbury got his first NFL sack. He also had 3 tackles in the game.
* CB Vontae Davis had a huge INT in the end zone vs NE. The Dolphins were able to come back and win the game in part because the Pats didn't score on that drive.
* Clint Sintim got his first NFL sack. The Giants list him at LB, but played him at DE in some pass rush situations. Sintim was a force off the edge for UVA last year.
* LarDarius Webb is doing a solid job for the Ravens as both the KOR and a backup DB.
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