Hi all! I don't post much as I'm often busy with an Army family, but I lurk quite a bit. I was driving home from an event a few evenings ago and listening to CBS Sports radio. They had a former NFL offensive lineman on the show (can't remember his name) who was talking about all of the 1st round offensive linemen and their progress so far. He said that going into week 1, he would rank his top rookie linemen as follows: 1. Greg Robinson 2. Jawuan James 3. Jake Matthews 4. Zack Martin 5. Cyrus Kwondjio (sp) He was asked if he would take Jawuan James over Jake Matthews for this season alone, or for the next 10 years. To my surprise, he said both. He cited his impressive progress so far as well as his potential to be an elite pass protector. With that said, he certainly didn't take anything away from Matthews and complimented his floor, which he said was the highest he has seen in awhile. So for those who have watched James closely in the preseason, do you agree with such a bold statement? Would you swap Jawuan James with Jake Matthews if given the opportunity? I know it's all hypothetical, but I was honored to hear such high praise for a Dolphin 1st rounder that got so much flack during the draft. Thanks all, and go Phins!
Tough question. I think both will end up to be pretty good players. I think a lot of it would come down to salary but I've been quite happy with James.
IMO its not an entirely fair comparison because LT usually gets the premier pass rusher and James is a RT. I do like the way James has played so far which is nice because I wasnt really sold on the pick at the time. I had a mid 2 grade on him and thought we reached based on need so if he pans out and gives a few pro bowl berths as well as some overall solid RT play for the next 10 years Ill be thrilled. Also if youre basing this on preseason then why stop at Matthews when Robinson wont even start week 1 for the Rams according to Rotoworld and Jeff Fisher?
Tough question because they don't play the same position. I know Atlanta was trying to convert Matthews to RT but he doesn't belong there. I'd take James > Matthews as a RT. But I would rather have Matthews in the long term and move him to his natural LT position in two-three seasons. Plus w/Albert's injury history over the last two seasons, Matthews would be a nice insurance policy to protect Tannehill's blindside, which was our weakest position on the line in 2013.
I'm not sure what's going on there with Matthews, and I hope that I'm wrong, but yes, I would take Matthews over James. Greg Robinson is a backup on Sunday.
Ja'waun is arguably the best pass protecting rookie coming into the first game of the season. (Most rookies in this class seem to be better at run blocking than the pass.) we've got a gem.
Let's let them play a few games first. I'm sure none of us have studied jake Matthews preseason tape.
LOL at Kouandjio 5th. The guy was beaten out on his own team by 7th round rookie Seantrel Henderson. I love seeing James #2 on his list but it makes me question whether or not he actually watched these guys play by Kouandjio's silly ranking who shouldn't be in the top 10, probably not even in the top 20 if I'm stretching it.
Id take the kid that begged to play for the Miami F'n Dolphins every day and twice on Sunday. Whens the last time you heard your 1st round pick begged to play for the Phins. This I love above all else cept keeping T17 safe to go home to momma every night.
That isn't true anymore. Defenses employ elite pass rushers on both sides these days. Look no further than our own defense (Wake goes against RT's)...
By the rest of that list I wouldn't read anything into it. Greg Robinson was a super high bust candidate and he's looked even worse than that in preseason. (Thought he might be decent at guard, but he couldn't even do that well in preeseason) Also, Cyrus is bad too.
A rough pre-season/rookie season is pretty expected for a starting tackle, I wouldn't really preclude the guys who are getting their asses kicked thus far from living up to the draft status. James looks like he pretty clearly has excellent ability as a pass protector, though.
But but but... we got this hindsight expert in this very forum who said James was "huge reach". I don't get it
He was asked to rank 1st round rookies and he rated Kouan last...Im not seeing the funny? or a reason to question his ratings.
I thought he was a reach at #19, and that we should of traded down and picked up an extra resource, liked the player just thought we could of maneuvered a bit..hope he makes me look foolish for not considering him at 19.. I'll wait to see his all around game before I eat it myself.
"Reach" and "good player" aren't mutually exclusive concepts. Brady has without a doubt been a great player but he still would have been a first round reach. Brady would have most likely still been a great player regardless of where he was selected, but by valuing him as a 6th rounder instead of a 1st, NE could maximize their draft class potential by taking other highly ranked players. (NE drafting hasn't been great but we're talking about potential). Reach simply refers to relative opinions of a player's odds of success and his ceiling. You're trying to predict the latest you can still get your guy. IMO James was a small reach, but it is always more important to get your guy. The draft question is whether you could have taken James later. That would mean that you might get James andanother more highly rated guy. I believe that the plan going into that draft was to take Shazier and then James next either in the 2nd or by trading up. I think those were the two guys they definitely wanted. Once Shazier was gone they seemed to make sure they got at least one of them rather than potentially missing out on both. In the end if they were right on James it won't matter that they reached. If they're wrong that's what matters but the "reach" just adds the argument that they took a player with lower odds of success or ceiling than the selection point warranted.
The problem with calling picks "reaches", especially when they play as if they were worth the pick they were taken with... is that you're only basing that they were a "reach" either on your own personal evaluation, or the evaluations of the media. If in this case the Fins evaluated James correctly, and he plays like the 19th pick... whats to say that other teams weren't evaluating him the same way... and it just wasn't picked up on by the media? If other teams viewed James similarly to us... then there is a good chance that he wouldn't have been available if we had tried to trade down. And therefore wasn't a reach?
Kouandjio wasn't a first rounder dude, hence the funny.... and a reason to question his rankings. That and the fact that, despite there being a bunch of quality-playing non 1st rounders, he instead goes with Kouandjio who is being outplayed by his 7th round teammate.
While it appears James might be a solid tackle in the NFL. All we have seen so far from him and the rest of the tackles taken in the 2014 is their play in meaningless preseason games. Perhaps we should just wait and see how effective all these young players perform once the REAL season starts before we make any judgement on who should or should not have been taken before or after another player.
James....because i dont study tape and James is the Dolphin, therefore he's going to a stud for the next 10 years.
ok so he rated the first 5 tackles taken (bitonio is a guard) he was asked to rate the top drafted tackles and he answered the question asked.. its was one simple question with one answer...you are right about Kouan not being in the first so I guess that part is worthy of ridicule but Im not surprised he didn't go all Mayock and try and evaluate every tackle taken in the draft.
Being an early pick doesn't guarantee success. See Robert Gallery. Based on play so far I would. Matthews has a higher ceiling I'd say but it doesbt mean he will reach it.
The Browns choose to play Bitonio at Guard, but he was a Tackle in college and could play it in the NFL. The Browns are set at OT though...
I'd probably take Matthews but I'm happy with our pick and where we took James. I think he has a chance to have a huge impact as a first round pick and thats what you want from a first rounder.
Well, preseason was a pretty good indicator of how Jonathan Martin would eventually turn out. So there is some stock to be put into these games. It's a huge sigh of relief already that James looks more than capable in pass protection. Say what you will, but 60+ snaps with no QB sacks or hurries is impressive. Preseason or not. It's much better than watching Martin soil himself and have to make excuses about him only needing to get stronger and acclimated to the pros.
Definitely James for this year. Don't know about the next ten. We'll have to wait a year or so to better evaluate.
That's a good sign about Shazier....this hickey dude, gonna keep a close eye on the dude ya know Rafs, I know you have some personality issues, but im hoping we found ourselves a film watchin talent identifying mother grabber..if Shazier drops knew more spot there's a chance we could of got him and James and Landry...holy sh&$.
