the only way i dont see andrew luck coming out is if Buffalo drafts first. Just about any other team drafts first, I think he comes out. Too much to risk staying in school another year
Andrew Luck won't come out. He's at Stanford for an education and has always said he will stay till he finishes his education regardless of the NFL. Vinny Curry of Marshall and Mario Harvey the ILB. Harvey is a hell of a player. And Tauren Poole of Tennessee.
I can't dispute your theory, but I don't get that line of reasoning from a player. You can always go back to school after your NFL days are done to finish up the education, or hell even do things like summer classes. Sure its free now due to the scholarship, but the money needed to go back on your own would be chump change to a 10-20 year franchise QB. Then again, Sam Bradford's case shows that a horrible injury doesn't necessarily mean your stock plummets. Having a ****ty season might though.
I really wish we'll draft Ryan Williams! He's a great RB. A WR like Green would be great too, but he'll be gone when we draft in Rd.1 (I hope ). And so will Heyward. Any chance on Terrelle Pryor? I know we don't need a QB right now, but this guy is fantastic!
Luck has said that after the NFL he wants to be in a position to do what he wants to do, not go back to school and that he's at one of the world's most prestigious seats of learning: why not make the most of that. The NFL will still be there in 18 months time.
I don't see Miami drafting a 5'10, 204lb running back. They might but I don't think I see it. I did a study of every back drafted by Parcells and then Parcells and Ireland and the average is about 6'0, 219lbs. Don't think Miami would be interested in Pryor either. At the moment he's a good college QB but doesn't have NFL specifics. I could certainly see us take a TE or a LG like Steve Schilling or Mike Pouncey or an ILB or a SS.
So you're thinking (based on history) that we'd be more likely to draft Evan Royster than Ryan Williams? (Royster is like 6'0" probably 215)
I don't really have a list at the moment. Trying to see as many players as I can. Steve Schilling and Pouncey are the two best guards I've seen this season. Schilling would really work next to Jake Long on that left side.
I'm not sure I see Miami taking a back that high period to be honest mate. Williams IS very tough and very strong but he's just a redshirt sophomore and has a couple of years of physical development to go. You also have to wonder if the Hokies list him at 5'11 and 205, what is his real size and weight?
He has a lot of talent. The concern is long speed, although it's not a huge concern, given that Ronnie doesn't have long speed particularly. His Wildcat ability is also intriguing. But I don't think R+R are done just yet in Miami.
I was really hoping you'd give an opinion on Royster (who seems like a 3rd rounder as a best case scenario for him, though this season's start has not helped his cause).
I'm amazed at how poor the offensive line play is this season. I've already seen more games at this point in the season than at any time in my life and the OL play is horrific. I watched better blocking from true freshmen in the first half for Tennessee against Oregon than I've seen out of 3 years starters elsewhere. Nate Potter of Boise State.....what the hell happened to your game? Ben Olson of SMU?? The kid whose name I foget playing RG for West Virginia who was actually afraid to hit someone. Even a guy like Lee Ziemba who some people have going high still looks stiff and cumbersome.
Sorry Pete - I've not yet seen him this season although have a game of his on the system downstairs. Based on years past you can't argue with his production on an average PSU team. He's patient, he allows his blocks to develop, he runs with balance, good body lean and he's consistent. Not flashy, just gets the job done. I like Royster and he'll probably end up being a solid NFL back who gets passed over a little bit come draft time but who grinds out yards at the next level under the radar.
For a highly rated TE Luke Stocker has to do a much better job blocking. Real issues with fundamental techniques.
Young is a good player. Very fast and a very solid route runner at least in the first phase. When he makes double moves/cuts his second move can sometimes be slightly tokenistic but his 2nd move is usually better than most players' first move. He has a couple of false steps when making that 2nd move and gears down and back up a little slower than you'd like. He uses his head really well at the top of the route tree but he rarely cuts inside, but he needs to start using eyes and shoulders, etc. He's not a great blocker but he's great with the ball in his hands in the open field. I also like the way he runs short routes; when he runs a dig, the route gets dug. He really does plant his feet and work the route. Pettis is a much lazier route runner who often times goes 3/4 pace into his route then does his work at the top of the tree. Personally I think that's lazy and against the better cover corners in college let alone the NFL he's going to have issues.
Hey Boom did you get around to watching the Miami V Ohio St game? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the game.
Hey BK. Not yet. I finished Tennessee/Oregon and Boise/Va Tech tonight. Still have PSU/Bama, FSU/Oklahoma, Georgia/South Carolina and Miami/OSU to get through before Thursday night so I can clear enough space on the system for the next 8/10 games that need taping. Will give you a heads up when I watch over next couple of days.
Wow @ comparing Marcus Lattimore to Adrian Peterson. I mean the kid is a beast no question but thats some kind of comparison for the kid after only 2 games at South Carolina: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...l/09/12/new-quarterback-generation/index.html
On the other hand giving yourself time to mature mentally and physically before you spend a decade getting your face beat in is never a bad decision. theres a reason the NFL makes you wait til youre three years removed from high school to join the league. One is so you have time to mature. The other is so you don't come in and act like an idiot and spend all your money and have no education after your playing days are done. You forget that half these guys once they have been around the league for x number of years have no desire to go back and dont have the discipline to go back and finish the education. Some definitely do but many dont.
Call me a Clemson Tiger homer but I'd rather see us take Jamie Harper if we're grabbing a power RB to replace Ricky. The kid's turning into a physical beast. Watch him truck the DB on this first play!! He's got the total package and will have a lot of life on his legs. (RB Andre Ellington and DE Maliciah Goodman are gonna be special) [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PceUj4dZdb0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PceUj4dZdb0[/ame]
If you see this player as a spread QB, than we disagree, this is a unique player that is running the wildcat formation with 1 read passing option's.. OK smart ***..If you think this kid and Pat white have similar running styles out of the formation and play the position similar to each other, I feel sorry for your eye, you should get it checked. Its been 3 years since it came to the forefront, I think all signs point to it continuing to evolve into its own position as part of an offense, how long is it gonna be til when we see the high school kids comin out left and right with the skillset..Soon there we'll be a few Robinson's, not just 1.. Maybe your not seeing my point, I think in the future your gonna draft this kind of athlete early even though theres no potential for proset QB..as the players get better at the position and exploit that type of skillset, the reps in the NFL will go up..Its such a safe formation, that if you can find a dynamic player to run it, one that has an athletic arm, then its going to be effective at any level...which, is something that you fail to quantify across the landscape of football.
I don't see Denard Robinson as an NFL QB on any level. Not because he isn't talented because he clearly is, but where's he a bigger threat? Is it running or passing? It's running. So why does the passing work? Well, UCONN and Notre Dame stacked the box trying to get him to throw but because they did they sacrificied defensive backs and it allowed Denard to make safe and simple throws, high percentage passes; bubble screens, 15 yard ins, etc. He wasn't working through 3 and 4 progressions and then dropping the ball in over the top of a safety or a corner. There are spread passers and option passers everywhere. That's why Tom Lemming and people like that have categories for position by position and then they have one called "ATHLETE". These kids have always been there and they always will be. But as pro QB's? Unless the NFL changes wholesale to a run first league and gets rid of the pass, then I don't see legions of Pat White's and Denard Robinson's and Eric Crouch's helming NFL franchises. And college football history is littered with QB's like him; Steve Taylor, Tommie Frazier.....Holy Cross used to have a kid called Gordie Lockbaum who they played all over the field and who was exactly the same sort of athlete. Charlie Ward.....look at the modern day evolution of mainly black athletes who go to the QB position as just that: athletes. Look at the 100m. There's been some interesting conversations in Europe recently because the European 100m Champion is a white French guy. WHITE. Look at the last white Olympic 100m champ. Alan Wells of Scotland back in 1980 or 1984. But this is an argument that transcends race; high schools are more and more moving the best athletes that they would automatically play at TB/WR and CB and sticking them at QB because a Denard Robinson can take you to state at High School. Look at Daniel Thomas of Kansas State as another example. Here's a HS QB who couldn't cut it as a college QB but was a run option QB at the prep level. Pat White essentially drew a line under option/spread athletes gravitating from college QB to NFL QB regardless of wrinkles such as the Wildcat or the spread. Look at the most succesful players in the NFL in both those categories; Ronnie Brown at 6'0 and 227lbs and Warren Moon was 6'3, 221lbs when he was throwing to Curtis Duncan and Hayward Jeffries and Ernest Givens and Drew Hill. Look at the two most succesful run first QB's of the past decade, Mike Vick and Vince Young. Neither has fulfilled the promise shown at Va Tech and Texas, yet both played for National Titles and were elite college players. They have fuindamental issues in picking up nuances of pro style attacks because they're not pro style passers. That's not meant as a criticism or to intimate that they're in some way less intelligent than a passing QB. It's simply the way it is. It's like expecting Peyton Manning to run the option and complaining when he doesn't do it at the Hall of Fame level with which he runs his pro style attack. Denard is officially 6'0 and 193. Which almost certainly means he's 5'11 and about 185. Physically he's not going to stand up to the pounding of the NFL at QB. Even in the UCONN game he got dinged up twice. And as a passing QB he simply doesn't have the requisite physical tools of a modern day pro passer. There's a reason why one of the greatest college QB's of a generation - Tommie Frazier - is now an account executive with an energy company and Gordie Lockbaum is now a principal at an insurance agency and Ward is a varsity football coach. And it will be the same fate that awaits Robinson.
Iam not disagreeing with what your saying, I dont see him being a QB on the NFL level either in a traditional sense, However what I think is getting misinterpreted here is what he is and how his type of skillset is going to be used more and more at the NFL level. Therefore being drafted higher and higher as the formation evolves at the NFL level. What I do disagree with is that this kid and players like Mike vick, Pat white, and charlie ward have similar skillsets..completely different imo..This is a pure wildcat athlete/runner that happens to have an athletic arm good enough for the formation to extend out and develope passing concepts, which is something that players like Ronnie brown, Trent richardson, Josh cribbs do not have...Basically if your into the formation, {which I obviously am} the ultimate player at this point and time has evolved..and If iam an NFL team, I think highly of drafting him and adapting my scheme to fit his skillset and combine him with a traditional QB to form a hybrid system.
Regardless of his family friend status...that kid can play! Looks a bit small and way out of control at this point but fast to the ball and arrives angry, definitely an effort player .....now if he can just cut down on the personal foul calls and break down better he might be All Brit...I mean All American in the future.....is he a RS freshman or soph....and what the hell is that tattoo?
Yeah Ray, redshirt freshman. Tore his ACL last spring but won the job fair and square. Thought it was fascinating to see him consistently disengage from Rodney Hudson last week and make plays. Like you say he's a little out of control and he needs to work in coverage but he's around the ball a lot and you can't teach that. Plus, he's going to get up around 240lbs when all's said and done. Tattoo? Union Jack I think!
Yeah that's it......lol..... I really enjoyed watching him play...he brings a ton of energy thats for sure. RS fresh... man he will be fun to watch develop.
Nebraska has some talented kids. Loved Amukamara early last year and he has such good feet and hips. Gonna get tested though because he looks at the QB a LOT. Really like Niles Paul at WR. Reminds me of OJ McDuffie with better speed. Crick's a good player as is Helu Jr and then they have this kid playing RG, a real farm boy. Terrible technician, but he's knocking guys out in the run game. He's nasty as ****, right to the whistle and beyond, got terrific lower body strength and hell, if anyone actually coaches him he could be special because I've not seen a run blocker like him this season. Ricky Henry is he kid. Watched the Nebraska/UW game the usual way and then went back and watched Locker in isolation. He has three fundamental issues: 1) He has great feet and yet inconsistent feet. Mobile, can move the pocket and when he sets his feet to throw, then he looks terrific. But he does it so infrequently that it hurts. He'll throw falling away, jumping in the air, off one foot, feet together. 2) He sees plays the way they're drawn up on the board and pays no heed to how they're actually run. He expect the play in the playbook to look just like the play in the game and so he lets the ball go. Unfortunately they don't always work out the way they get drawn up because a corner will maintain his leverage and will snare a pick. 3) He has no understanding of ball protection. He will heave it up whenever he wants because he believes he can make the play regardless. He has the arm so why can't he? Until he sorts those three fundamental problems out, he's going to have issues. He has so much raw talent but he needs a lot of coaching. I think he'll go to the Patriots with the Oakland pick.
Not really going too far out on a limb here but DAMN...Patrick Peterson changes games anywhere he lines up...........
Some underclass Patrick Cobbs type backs have impressed me...Bobby Rainey from Western Kentucky and Ed Wesley from TCU......couple under the radar senior type guys just keep producing.......Derrick Locke from UK.......Vai Taua from Nevada....who never met a collision he did not like.
Ian Williams of Notre Dame is the best DT/NT I've seen this season and it's not even close. Terrific hands, leverage and suddeness. Eric Gordon's a good player as well at MSU. Active 43 OLB. Can cover, good instincts.
Boom what are your thoughts on LB Mario Harvey from Marshall? He says he can run the forty in 4.3 I think he is bsing but he was all over the field against Ohio St.
I think he's absolutely superb. I talked about him a few pages back. I think he can do it all; rush the passer, drop in coverage and always around the ball. Terrific player.
Boom you going to watch UT/UCLA game?? Ayers had another good game against Houston. Bullough had him lined up everywhere. Almost had a 90yrd INT TD.
