This is early for me, but a new TV system over here has made it ridiculously simple to watch games when I can and I've rattled through more this year than I have since my kids were born. It's January and my draft game is tight! Thought I'd run through a position by position look at who's impressed me most this season to highlight a few names that the non draft heads might not have heard too much about during the great season we've just had with Sparano and his men. Essentially it's three very easy groupings; the best player I saw at each position regardless of eligibility, then a sort of sleeper, a guy not to forget about that probably won't go in round one or even day 1, but someone not to forget about and then the guy I like that isn't necessarily the best guy. I'll also drop in a few names of non-eligible players that have caught my eye as I know a few of you like to look ahead to 2010 and even 2011. I'm sure a few players will feature on some top 100 lists shortly. Anyway, this is who's impressed me this season. All of these are draftable players. There's no Trevor Cobb's or Clarkston Hines' in there. QB: Best Player I saw: Sam Bradford - Oklahoma - Redshirt Sophomore. There were some good passers this year especially from the mid portion of the country. But Bradford stood out for me. He has it all; touch, ability to move the pocket, great arm strength, accuracy, leadership. He's not by any means the finished article; he's pretty slender and if he comes out and gets drafted on a team with a bad OL and plays early, he could get ruined. He also doesn't have anywhere near the sort of consistent footwork you'd like and he has a slightly odd delivery. But if he DOES come out - and I'd imagine that question will be addressed shortly after Thursday night - then he's going to be the first passer taken. Tremendous year. Don't Sleep On: Nate Davis - Ball State - Junior. Don't get many Ball State games in these parts usually; but tonight is the third this season alone and 5th in 2 years. Davis has talent and tools to play on Sundays. He has a live arm, arguably the strongest of any draft eligible passer and much like Patrick White, has gotten better year on year. I see improvements in his game in 2008 that I didn't see in '07. Guy I Like: Graham Harrell - Texas Tech - Senior. Spread attack guy who I believe is much more than a system passer. Talked about Sam Bradford having mediocre footwork at times, on the flip side, Harrell has the best feet of any QB in the draft. Moves the pocket well and steps into his throws and delivers strikes. Proved all year that he could make more than just spread offense throws; was helped by having Detron Lewis and Mike Crabtree of course, but anyone who saw that throw to beat the Longhorns to the back shoulder into double coverage to the spot where only Crabtree could catch it knows that if you draft this kid and put him in a system that suits his style, you could be onto a winner. 2010 And Beyond: We expect Bradford and Stafford to come out and Josh Freeman has already declared. But we don't expect Tony Pike of Cincinnati or Zac Robinson of Oklahoma State to do it. If they stay and progress, then you're looking, IMO, at two QB's who will push Colt McCoy, Tim Hiller and Mark Sanchez at the top of draft boards. Honorable mention to Nevada's Colin Kaepernick who I saw against Fresno State earler in the year when I was watching AJ Jefferson and thought immediately that if you could get him a good QB coach and allow him to slow down some in terms of his decision making, then you'd have a cross between the arm of Jay Cutler and the legs of Mike Vick. TB: Best Player I Saw - Knowshon Moreno - Georgia - Redshirt Sophomore. Just love the way this kid plays the game. Doesn't have top level speed, but possesses great balance, vision and the ability to hit the home run from anywhere on the field. Fully expect him to come out and be a star in the NFL. He just got the nod over Jahvid Best of California who has speed to burn and is a high 1st rounder when he declares. Don't Sleep On - Keiland Williams - LSU - Junior. This was hard because it's an average running back class generally. Wanted to say Javon Ringer but he doesn't qualify as a sleeper. I love the power he possesses; this guy has the body strength and tackle breaking ability of two backs. Plumping for LSU's Keiland Williams who I thought would be a legitimate top 15 pick a year ago and then absolutely disappeared this season, in part because of Charles Scott but mainly because of himself, was something of a no-brainer; you don't have that much talent and lose it overnight. He has Ronnie Brown type build, with speed to the corner and home run ability. He's never rushed for more than 500 yards in a season, but you can't ignore flashes of brilliance over his tenure in Baton Rouge. Picked Williams over Brandon Ore who was booted from Virginia Tech and ended up at West Liberty. Not seen him this season, but have paid attention to his game. He's troubled, but he can play. Guy I Like: Glen Coffee - Alabama Junior. Coffee has petitioned the league and many expect him to declare, especially with Bama losing John Parker Wilson, Antoine Caldwell and Andre Smith from that OL. If Mike Shanahan was still in Denver, this kid would be a Bronco and if that Bronco team was looking for a back at the tail end of R1 and Chris Wells and Coffee were on the board, they'd take Coffee all day long. Tremendous one cut and go runner with the speed to go round people and the fearless ability to smash defenders in the mouth and keep on running. Very keen on this kid. 2010 And Beyond: Mentioned who I don't think is eligible this year. It's sort of unfair picking Joe McKnight but he's so good. That said, if he'd gone to Mississippi as he almost did and not USC, I think his pro star would be brighter. McCoy at Pitt is a great cutback runner with pace, but if I was going out on a limb I'd say Antone Smith's replacement at FSU, Jermaine Thomas, is going places. WR: Best Player I Saw: Michael Crabtree - WR - Texas Tech. Just edged out Dez Bryant of Oklahoma State. Julio Jones and AJ Green of Alabama and Georgia were sensational, but Crabtree was just dominant in that Mike Leach offense. Great hands, great strength, although like Sam Bradford he's not the finished NFL article; I question his long speed and his route running needs work, but I saw improvement in the latter area from a year ago. Whether he comes out remains to be seen. Pops seems to want him out, whereas Crabb has intimated that he wants to stay. Don't Sleep On - Austin Collie - BYU - Junior. The sort of guy that opposing teams will hate because he has a sense of arrogance about his game. Not a burner by any stretch of the imagination, but he has terrific hands and runs the best routes of any WR in the class save perhaps for Hakeem Nicks. Why? Because he has good feet, great body control but he also possesses something that few wideouts have; an inate ability to work back to the QB both on broken plays and indeed on regular throws so that corners can't jump routes and pick balls off. Has been leaning towards declaring. Guy I Like: Hakeem Nicks - North Carolina - Junior. I'd frankly be an idiot to say anyone else, especially given that he's already declared. Like I said, it's a bad class and that's taking nothing away from Nicks, but his competition wasn't great. Mike Thomas of Arizona is a quick twitch player from the slot, whilst Derrick Williams of Penn State is easy to like in that mid to late 2nd round area. Oregon State's Sammie Stroughter suffered from severe depression which will red flag him after the death of two people very close to him, but he can play. Eric Decker at Minnesota is a beast and Jacoby Ford has speed to burn for Clemson. 2010 And Beyond: Dez Bryant is a stud pure and simple. Green and Jones as mentioned are great, as is Southern's DeAndre Brown, but Notre Dame's Golden Tate impressed me all year. He and Michael Floyd have been tremendous. TE: Best Player I Saw - Brandon Pettigrew - Oklahoma State - Senior. Have been a fan of big Brandon for a long time as CK will attest to. Tremendous blocker, he also has super soft hands and runs good routes. His long speed isn't great, but certainly as a junior he was an absolute aeriel terror against Texas and Texas Tech to name but two. I hope he doesn't become another Daniel Graham and there's something about him that I can't quite escape from with regards an interest from Miami. Don't Sleep On - Brian Mandeville - Northeastern - Senior. This is the sort of true sleeper I like. I have only seen cutdown highlights of him from the SID so full game judgement isn't here. But what I've seen impresses me. Goes almost 6'7 and 255lbs, but he can run down the field and make play after play. In line he's also a very good blocker. Guy I Like - Dennis Pitta - BYU - Junior. I love Pettigrew. Travis Beckum is a very good player whose stock will fall because of concerns over his size and thus his blocking ability, and also because of the fractured fibula he suffered against Illinois. But Pitta is a tough guy who reminds me of Heath Miller. He runs good routes, catches the ball well and can make plays down the field. I expect him to declare. 2010 And Beyond: Every time I see Florida I'm blown away by the speed of Harvin and Demps and Ingram and Rainey, etc. But Aaron Hernandez always looks to me like the best long term pro. Does everything well and is a future 1st rounder if he's not marginalised by the spread. OT: Best Player I Saw: Michael Oher - Ole Miss - Senior. Wrote a big piece on him in the Club, but along with Bradford, I consider him a strong candidate for the #1 pick if Detroit can overcome the very unusual red flags his life has thrown up. Good get off, with very good feet and a tremendous wingspan, he has a super kickslide and a very quick 2nd and 3rd kick. Even if they're insufficient, his arms are so long that he simply rides ends out of the play. He can run block, is a leader and plays with a means streak; as a high school LT he once run blocked a defensive end who had been shooting his mouth out of the play, off the field, through the opposing sideline and into the perimeter fence that surrounded the stadium. Don't Sleep On: Garrett Reynolds - North Carolina - Senior. Both Con and I have eulogised over Reynolds who gets absolutely no publicity whatsoever. True RT who gets brilliant leverage and is ridiculously strong, driving up through his legs and hips and wiping ends off the line. Rugged, he has decent feet in pass protection and plays with a wide base and good knee bend. Doubt it will happen, but if his name gets called in the latter portion of R1 then I wouldn't be shocked. Also has NFL pedigree; his Uncle was Jack 'Hacksaw' Reynolds, a very good MLB for the LA Rams. Guy I Like: Jason Smith - Baylor - Senior. I'm going to say it; I've never graded an OT with feet as good as Smith. It's like watching a 245lb tight end, not a 303lb LT. The most athletic tackle in the draft, Smith, a former tight end himself is still a little raw round the edges, but is so quick into his set up you simply will not beat him round the outside. He jabs forward like a great boxer when you try and undercut him and whilst you'd like to refine his technique a little, those feet are beautiful. It's potentially a stunning class if Russell Okung and Ciron Black join Eben Britton in coming out. Okung's upside is off the charts and Britton is outstanding in pass pro. I grade Andre Smith as the 6th best LT BTW. 2010 And Beyond: Lot of talent out there. Adam Ulatoski of Texas is returning to Austin and is a good player, whilst Iowa's Bryan Bulaga is as good as there is. OG: Best Player I Saw: Duke Robinson - Oklahoma - Senior. Real mauler, a street fighter with long arms, a great base and tremendous strength. He totally engulfs his man at the line and uses quick hands and a very nasty demenour to win battle after battle. He's not the sort of guy you necessarily want pulling for you because he's ungainly on the move and doesn't always seem to get his body squared up when he makes the 2nd level after pulling and can get taken out of the play. But he doesn't lose many one on ones in line. Don't Sleep On: Kraig Urbick - Wisconsin - Senior. Big guy at almost 6'7, but he gets good leverage and can easily wall and turn defenders to create holes or simply move them off the line. He's not the quickest and he's not the most athletic but he can get out in front and do a job down the field. It's amazing how many guards you watch who simply whiff at the 2nd level. Urbick for the most part, isn't one of them. Guy I Like: Andy Levitre - Oregon State - Senior. Like a poor mans Max Unger, he can play both tackle and both guard spots. He's well shaped and has terrific hands and he rarely allows tackles into him because he snaps up off the ball and allows his mitts to do the hard work whilst his feet maintain balance. Team captain, 4 year starter. Might sneak the first day. 2010 And Beyond: Feels like a bit of a kop out but the athletic ability of FSU's Rodney Hudson is terrific. He gets out to the 2nd level as well as anyone I saw this season and has remarkably good feet. I could easily see him playing at LT. OC: Best Player I Saw: Max Unger - Oregon - Senior. And it's not even close. Experienced, he can play every spot on the OL and start, he's tough, gets off the ball quickly, doesn't fire up like Alex Mack who, as Jochen rightly noted, is like a Jack In The Box. Great technique, strong with outstanding footwork and great balance to get to the 2nd level. And he's just tremendous when he gets there. Front and centre a real possibility for Miami in round 1. Don't Sleep On: Dallas Reynolds - BYU - Senior. A rose between two thorns is how you'd describe me when out with Marty and Mr Clean, but it's also apt when looking at Reynolds who sits between two big men in Ray Feinga and Travis Bright, decent mid round G prospects both. 4 year starter, 3 at LT, he was switched to OC because of injury and has 50 starts to his name, the most in college football. He's quick firing off the snap and whilst he's a phonebox operator in terms of movement, he's never getting overpowered and has short area quickness and technique to deal with most tackles. His versatility alone will get him onto a roster come opening day. Mark my words. Guy I Like: Antoine Caldwell - Alabama - Senior. Probably seen as much of Caldwell as anyone this year. An absolute beast of a man, he's gigantic in the flesh. That chest is like the base of an oak tree when he's not in uniform. Mean, he plays with a good base and never gets moved backwards. Moves well laterally and whilst he's not great to the 2nd level he's adequete. He can get a little lazy when he's uncovered; three times this season I've seen him allow late blitzers to just blow past him and all he's done is turn his head. But he's a leader and mean as a junkyard dog; anyone see him at the coin toss for the Sugar Bowl go to shake Stevenson Sylvester's hand only to ignore the hand and tell Sylvester simply that he was going to kill him? Even I was scared and I was 6,500 miles away. 2010 And Beyond: Kristofer O'Dowd of USC is the best ineligible OC I hve seen this year and another in that long line of Trojan stars. Mel Kiper thinks he's much, much further down the line than Ryan Kalil was at the same stage. Kalil the Panthers 2nd rounder and current starter. DE: Best Player I Saw: Jerry Hughes - TCU - Junior. Wrote a big piece about him last week; led the NCAA in sacks, ferociously quick off the edge, possessing tremendous hands, he's utterly relentless. I predict him as a 3-4 OLB and would truly love him in Miami. But very, very consistent and very, very good. The only black mark is that this is his first year as a starter. Don't Sleep On: Pannel Egboh - Stanford - Senior. Got moved around the formation this season and his numbers and contributions stuttered somewhat, but this is a guy at 6-5, 273 who could be a 4-3 end or who might well work out in Indianapolis as an OLB. Flying under some radars. Guy I Like: Larry English - Northern Illinois - Senior. Hard not to like; he's got a brilliant first three steps off the corner. A team captain, two time conference player of the year he can play zone or man coverage and should be a top 40 pick in April and a guy Miami looks heavily at. He struggles to set the edge as a run defender, playing mainly with his hand on the ground as a 4-3 end, he can also stand up and rush or drop with good feet and smooth transition. Would like to see more variety in the rush, but he's just a good football player. 2010 And Beyond: Antonio Coleman is a very good player at Auburn who's going back for his senior season. He brings tremendous pace and a relentless nature off the edge. Jammie Kirlew of Indiana gets no pub but can play. I like the look of Greg Romeus at Pitt but the guy that blew me away time and again this year was Da'Quan Bowers of Clemson. Can rush the passer, can play the run. You're looking at a future #1 overall pick. DT: Best Player I Saw: Gerald McCoy - Oklahoma - Redshirt Sophomore. Highly unlikely that he'll declare but in tuning in to see his more vaunted colleague DeMarcus Granger, I was consistently blown away by McCoy who posesses remarkable get off for a guy of his size, knifing through double teams and time and again collapsing pockets. Truly a sight to behold. Wonderful player. Don't Sleep On: Dorell Scott - Clemson - Senior. Really like this kid and whenever I see the Tigers he does something to jump out at you. Really hard working 318lber, who can stay in and clog a run lane or show decent ability to get after the QB and can then change direction and chase down plays from behind. Is for my money a solid 3rd rounder. Guy I Like: Ndamukong Suh - Nebraska - Junior. If he comes out, he might be, behind Jerry Hughes, the guy I think Miami will target in R1. 303lbs of immovable object. This guy is a wall. It's rare that you see hands like Jerry Hughes possesses, but Suh has them as well. Never loses a hand fight and uses incredible wings to suddenly rip past guards and the center to create havoc. He's the Blackshirt's best player so he's doubled almost every down and yet he still makes play after play. Take the Gator Bowl for example; 4th and 1 1st quarter; hand to James Davis, he split a double, dives headlong right and stuffs Davis half a yard shy. Commentators don't even notice. Bo Pelini calls him the stongest player he's ever been around and he coached Glenn Dorsey last year. Mighty talent who's leaning towards staying but has been faltering the last few days. I absolutely think with his strength and ability to soak up blocks, mirror the play and keep the guard where he wants him before exploding, that he can be a NT in the 3-4. Half a notch behind McCoy and a notch or 2 ahead of Sen'Derrick Marks. 2010 And Beyond: Marvin Austin at NC and Brian Price at UCLA were two of the better youngsters I saw. Ted Laurent at Ole Miss I like a lot. OLB: Best Player I Saw: Mark Herzlich - Boston College - Junior. Flat out the best linebacker in college football and that includes the very good Aaron Curry. Almost certainly returning to school, he has tremendous instincts, can run, is the best cover linebacker with draft eligibility I saw and who was described by former Rams scout Tom Marino as "utterly flawless" and when he scouted him in person wrote only that he might add some weight to his frame and nothing else in the "Negatives" box. Don't Sleep On: Corey Smith - Cincinnati - Senior. Trying to get handle on the two Bearcat corners, I couldn't help but notice Smith who is undersized at around 225 but will make someone in Indy or Tampa very happy. He has good diagnostic skills, gets through trash in a hurry and has super speed for a linebacker. He can also cover down the field or work in a zone. Won't go high, but again, will make a roster on opening day. Guy I Like: Brian Cushing - USC - Senior. He has his knockers; the injury thing and the steroids rumours which started as a junior in high school. But when he's healthy he's a force and can play with his hand on the ground in a 4-3, either OLB spot or, as he did sporadically the past 2 seasons, inside at MLB, all with great success. He can get sideline to sideline and make plays, he is a step behind Herzlich in coverage and he has far better instincts than his much more heralded teammate Rey Maualuga. 2010 And Beyond: Herzlich is likely to be in the 2010 draft and should go very high. Navarro Bowman at PSU has great speed off the edge as does Eric Norwood. Dont'a Hightower is a fine prospect at Alabama. ILB: Best Player I Saw: N/A Apologies, but it would be hypocritical to choose someone because genuinely I haven't seen anyone that blows me away. The sexy choice is Maualaga and whilst I admire his intensity, his hitting prowess and his sideline to sideline ability, I can't sign off on a guy who I see make terrible decisions again and again with play recognition and diagnosis, forever choosing the wrong hole or over running a play, not sealing an edge and not playing fundamentally sound football consistently enough. James Laurinaitis is another sexy choice who for me went backwards in 2008; he looked slower than slow at times and he simply cannot get off a block. He went from probable top 10 pick a year ago to a guy who I thought might have to play WLB. I think behind Minnesota's DL he'll be fine. I scoured game after game for a standout MLB knowing our issues there but didn't see one good enough to call "the best". I know CK likes Brandon Spikes and he's very good in coverage, but I never see him doing enough to personally get the hype. Like Chris says though, OLB may be his future. Just ask Andre Smith. Don't Sleep On: Joe Pawelek - Baylor - Junior. Average paced white guy who just makes plays. Never going to wow anyone with his athleticism, but what jumps off the screen is that he's in on almost every play. He has good instincts, is a solid hitter and can cover. Is something of a given that he's coming out. Guy I Like: Darry Beckwith - LSU - Senior. Have always liked Beckwith. Doesn't do anything out of the ordinary but makes very few mistakes. Struggled with injuries late last year and early this, but he's a solid big game player who I thought might have ended up in round 1. He'll probably go late in 2. 2010 And Beyond: Like Martez Wilson, like Quin Sturvidant at North Carolina, Rolando McClain is pretty good but doesn't yet make enough plays and sometimes changes direction like a ferry. CB: Best Player I Saw: Sean Smith- Utah - Junior. Have talked him up all season long. Actually was disappointed in him in the Sugar Bowl, but overall I like his ability in man and zone; big and strong to knock recievers from their routes at the LOS, he mirrors very well in the initial steps and can turn and run. I'd like to see more consistent fluidity in the hips and stronger tackling, but he transitions very well and has very long arms and will be a 1st rounder if he comes out IMO. Don' Sleep On: Kevin Barnes - Maryland - Senior. Could have put a lot of people here; Joe Burnett, Brandon Ghee, Kevin Akin. But I liked what I saw from Barnes before the shoulder injury. Quick, instinctive, he breaks on the ball ferociously and can deliver a lick. He's very skinny and extremely thin hipped but he might turn into a goody. Guy I Like: Syd'Quan Thompson - California- Junior. Highly impressive player. Very few corners have played man this season and Smith and Thompson play it as much if not more than most. Has a somewhat arrogant, challenging nature to his game but can back it up. If you watch him he plays with a sidesaddle backpedal where he watches the QB and tries to work the wideout to the boundary, tempting the QB to try and fit it into an ever decreasing gap. It also allows him to come off and be extremely forceful in the run game where he's a form tackler. He's going to get picked on in the pros because he'll get undone by multiple moves on a route if he's not careful, but he has a bundle of talent. 2010 And Beyond: Lot of good players such as Trevard Lindley at Kentucky, Rafael Priest at TCU, AJ Jefferson at Fresno State, Kendric Hawkins at Buffalo who's impressed me, Alterraun Verner who I know Alen likes a great deal. Ras-I Dowling is a terrific prospect as is Kendric Burney at North Carolina. S: Best Player I Saw: Eric Berry - Tennessee - Sophomore. Best safety in the nation bar none. Can man up at CB or can play centrefielder like Ed Reed. Truly a superstar in the making at SS. Forceful run defender who's even better as a pass defender. Berry has 11 picks in 2 seasons which is remarkable for a safety, let alone a true sophomore and especially for a SS. Don't Sleep On: Courtney Greene - Rutgers - Senior. Kinda hard to pick someone as the safety play by the draft eligible players has been a little mixed this season IMO. Greene is a pretty good player, especially when the play is in front of him. Forceful as a run defender, he's aware in coverage. But if you can get in behind him when the ball's in the air, then he's struggling. But in a system where he can flow to the ball downhill, then I think he has a decent future. Guy I Like: Rashad Johnson - Alabama - Senior. He's easy to like and we know that Jeff Ireland has spent time fawning at the Bama seniors and a ball hawk like Johnson is a real priority. Very forceful tackler, he can on occasion try one too many body shots, but usually his form is excellent. He flows naturally to the ball and despite being about 190lbs, he really throws his body in. He's just a smart football player, with great instincts and super ability when the ball's in the air. Time and again watching Alabama he'd make a play in the deep patrol; 3 picks against LSU for example, or on special teams. A team leader and former walk-on, he IS skinny and pretty high cut, but you can't argue against the week in, week out body of work and that's why I like him so. 2010 And Beyond: The position is in great shape. Apart from Berry, Georgia Tech's Morgan Burnett was a millisecond behind him. Both are future top 10 picks. North Carolina's Deunta Williams looks a future star, as do Earl Thomas and Blake Gideon at Texas. The two SEC Jones boys, Reshad at Georgia and Chad at LSU are also very talented. Hope that gives you some idea of who's what and what's who. It also took much longer than I anticipated and wasn't helped by accidentally deleting tackles, guards, centers and ends about halfway through. Still, it got me out of tidying the house before the wife gets back from Calgary in the morning. Boom.
I saw Mandeville play once this year (we are in the same conference at Northeastern). The dude can block pretty well but he only had an average game against us. If I recall he had about 3 passes going for 30-35 yards only. Great write up.
Thanks man. If I thought tight end was a bigger deal I'd probably get some tape, but you know what, there's only so many hours in each day. Appreciate greatly the info though!
I agree with you on Hernandez, Boom. Tebow and Harvin may have all the flash and get all the press, but Hernandez is quietly creeping into the upper echelon of college TEs. I love the way he plays, the toughness he displays, the awareness and hands he shows both in blocking and catching the ball. He's one of the few players on UF's team that I would like to see in a Phins uni. (Gresham looked nice in the NC as well.) Suh I've become recently high on. Saw him in the bowl game and he just DOMINATED the LOS. Always had his hands on the OL first and was very effective at shedding his blockers. Tremendous hand and forearm strength- probably the most I've seen out of any D-lineman this year(that's something I personally look for- I've found it's a good overall indicator of a player's working strength and dedication). I love the way Nicks catches the ball- with his hands. Don't see too many WR's that do that on a consistent basis. Nicks does. Not so high on Bryant for the same reason, he body-catches too much for my liking. No question he can dominate a game, though. Haven't seen Herzlich play (since I hate BC w/ a passion), but I suppose I can bring myself to watch him if we don't draft an OLB high this year...I just hope they lose the game I see.
glad you mentioned UCLAs Brian Price and Alterruan Verner. BPs going to be a beast. They even had him lineup at FB in Goal-line situations
Thanks for the honorable mention..thorn indeed. Great stuff Simon. It was because you Chris and Kieth do these kind of things that I became seriously interested in following the draft years ago. Every year it gets better and better. Not being nearly as skilled in evaluating talent, write ups like this allow folks like me to learn and participate. The hard work you share with us allows group participation and helps hold us together as a group on the offseason. I know I get all mushy every year when you guys begin the process, but it deserves praise, and I am grateful for you all.. including Richard who is now adding his expertise too. I seriously enjoyed the last offseason with everyone and you Simon and the other draft gurus were instrumental in that pleasure. Thanks mate.
I covered Con.. used his name Richard . Alen, well, I sat there and seriously considered adding him to the list but held it to those with the badge out of respect for the fella's that have earned it. There might not be a more ardent supporter of Alen than me, he has solidly earned my respect and I believe he has a chance of becoming our next draft guru... and noone not his family will be more proud either. Not since some kid who was a buffet head showed up with his manifesto's have I witnessed such a quick grasp of football knowledge. Every post brings new knowledge and a better grasp of the subject just like that "other" guy who continued growing each day. CKparrothead performed one of the best/fastest assimilation's of football knowledge I have so far seen, and it was in a HOSTILE environment.. our Alen is in my mind pushing that. I mean these comments to be praise of high order for both men, my apologies if the words fail to illuminate that.
Just curious Boomer, but doesn't Nate Davis have a learning disability?? I thought that was one of the reasons he went to Ball State over other bigger programs. I wonder how this will effect his stock in the draft and whether he can learn the whole playbook or not.
Yeah he does have a learning disability. It took him a bit longer to grasp the Ball State playbook but he worked very hard at it and got it down, and ended up shining. I don't think it'll have a big as affect as his height. Boomer posted something a few weeks back saying that some scouts believe he may be 5'10" I think it was. That's troubling.
LOL, I saw that too, as your fellow thorn next to the lovely rose Simon. I think he wanted to see if we were paying attention and actually reading all his hard work. Keep up the great reports Boom, I look forward to them like nothing else on this forum.
I think other teams were interested mate, it's just that what Ball State offered in terms of management for his learning disability was far and away ahead of what anyone else was offering.
