The UD videos are not highlight plays.

If he hasn't watched enough of McClain to pass judgement, why do these couple videos now give him enough evidence to do so?

Seems silly to me. I certainly don't agree with Armando, or at least with how he came about with his opinion.

 

Arm And Oh is an idiot.
Aside from that, he is an idiot.
If he was expecting Lewis or Singletary, was he still expecting him to be there at the 12th pick?
Really?
Oh, and one more thing, he's an idiot :up:

 

I've been pretty steady on McClain as well.

He doesn't have enough of what we should be looking for IMO.

 

id rather go thomas or olb in first and spikes in the 2nd

 

Same here.

I'll add that while those videos are not a highlight reel, it's three games' worth of clips and any play that Rolando made that would qualify as a highlight play is definitely in there. There was nothing excluded. If he was relevant on the play, it's in there.

 

so he is crowder jr.
i am really starting to believe this is the case

 

Well, I have to admit that after viewing those two videos (especially the second one) I am a little conflicted. Saw some good, some bad, and some ugly plays. After watching the first video I felt like he has a nose for the ball(carrier), and was in on all the plays. Whether he was at the initial point of contact, or cleaning up. Yes, there were a couple of missed tackles, but show me a player that has never whiffed. Happens to the best of 'em. But, in that second video it looked like he took some really bad angles, and he had trouble shedding blocks on several plays. I still think he's a good prospect, and I think he will a good LB at the pro level. Question is how good though? And, is he worth the #12 overall selection? Man, I just dunno. But, it does have me rethinking how I hope we use our first round selection.

 

Just get someone who will be a stud with the 12th pick. PLEASE!!!!!

 

We need some stars on this team.We currently have one at left tackle and that is it.
If we do not hit a homerun in this draft the fo days will be numbered.I think mcclain will be agood player but not a star that we need.
We somebody like berry or bryant.

 

Armando seems to be on his perios this week. Is it me or did he seem a little fiesty?

 

i wouldnt say that mcclain sucks, by any means, but at the
same time, i do not consider him worthy of the #12 pick.

he got a lot of exposeur being on the alabama team and
they were on tv and in the media constantly. so he got
seen and he got the hype and now he is a runaway train
in draft circles.

i dont think folks have taken notice yet buT OLB has become
far and away a bigger need than ilb. no, we dont have pro
bowlers across the board at ilb, but we have some. we have
squat at olb, a VERY important piece for the 3-4. joey is gone, JT
SHOULD be gone and even if he isnt, he just doesnt have enough game
anymore. so we have cam. he is a good off the bench pass rusher and
thats all we know about him other than he has struggled to set the edge
and stop the run. we absolutely can not rely on just that. we have no
depth at olb either besides needing starters!!

i can see a few more draft sites are coming around to BRANDON GRAHAM
the de/olb from michigan. he would be my choice at this point if we go
defense with #12.

mcclain just belongs more around the 20th pic to me. and YES, i have
seen him play. i LOVE the tide [hate saban] and saw a lot of there games
over the last 2 years.

AT THE #12............

DEZ
BRANDON GRAHAM
EARL THOMAS

 

McClain, based on what I've seen over three years, is a complete stud of an inside linebacker and a perfect fit for the 3-4 defense. He's the best stack and shed linebacker in this draft. He's got the best instincts of any linebacker that has come to the NFL in a while. The guy anticipates plays as well as Zach Thomas. He's got great size and great strength. What most see as a lack of athleticism is him making things look so easy because he knows where the play is going. He knows how to read his keys. He fights through traffic better than any other linebacker in the draft. He is great in zone coverage.

I would rate him slighly behind Patrick Willis as a prospect overall, but he's clearly better than guys like Jerod Mayo who went 10th and Brian Cushing, this past year's DROY who went 15th.

 

Well, maybe this is just one of those situation's where you can make anything (or anyone) look good or bad depending on how you present it. You know, creative editing so to speak. Hell...I dunno. Wish I'da seen more of this cat play. But, truth is I don't watch a lot of college ball.

But, I'm gonna take your input and give it a great deal of weight KB21. I've read enough of your posts to feel like you know what you're talking about. Of course, I suppose you could say I wanna believe McClain is that good. Because if he is, then hope we get him. This team needs that kind of a player, and that kind of leadership.

OK, looks like I'm back on the McClain Train. All aboard!

 

It is my pleasure to show you the light.

 

Not at #12 anyway, not for us.

Without better NT play it won't matter who plays ILB.

 

>mroz< still in the dark when it comes to McClain. :no:

 

No one regarded Lewis or Singletary as highly in their draft years as scouts and draftnicks appear to be regarding McClain. Lewis went something like 26th overall and Singletary was a 2nd rounder. Lewis gained a lot of size after entering the NFL. As I recall, at draft time he was about 225 to 230 lbs.

Why the heck would Mandy expect Ro to already look like either of maybe the two best ILBs ever? I think you nailed it, he is an idiot. :knucks:

 

I think McClain is one of those guys who is getting made out to be more than he is. While I don't think much of Armando even a broken clock is right twice a day. I thought it was telling that the Raven's scout in the UD interview in the Sun-sentinel basically said what many of us here have been saying, that McClain is good but not elite and that he wasn't sure about taking McClain at #12.

 

I like the idea of Thomas in the 1st, but IMO, McClain is substantially better than Spikes. I like what Ro shows, but with Spikes I wonder what all the fuss is about. Still, depending on who we sign in free agency and who else is available, Spikes would be a decent choice at 43.

 

IMO, this is a pretty accurate summation of Rolando. As much as I disagree with Keith about Earl Thomas. I agree with him about Rolando.

 

i agree i think McClain is overrated i dont think he will suck i think he will be a solid pro with about 3 or 4 pro bowls but IMO as it looks right now he isnt going to be a great NFL LB like Willis or Lewis

 

I want you Rolando McClain haters to come see me when he wins DROY next year.

 

I've only seen a little of McClain in the game. What I've seen is INSTINCTS. You don't fool this kid. He knows where the play is going and where the ball is going to be and gets to it. That can't be taught.

I would love to pick up McClain in the first and Cody in the second. Draft that Alabama program and put them to work. It'll pay off for us big time.

 

Here's why I don't think McClain is worthy of the 12 pick...I want him so badly to be THAT good and be available to us because I know how badly we need a stud in the middle of the field...I was excite when I heard everyone talking about him and projecting we'd take this guy and get such a steal...he was raved about in the NC game, and I was keeping an eye out for him, but never once found myself impressed in any way, yet I chalked it up as being too enrgrossed in the game to notice....but when I went searching through video highlights, any I could find anywhere, I couldn't find ONE play that made me say "WOW"...not ONE, even though I was LOOKING for ONE, I couldn't find ONE! And in fact, the one inescapable thought I couldn't shake after watching all the video is that this guy tends to tackle matador style...never once saw him meet a ballcarrier and immediately drive him backwards and into the ground...never once saw him display a special move during a blitz to get to the QB. If such a video exists, I would appreciate a link, as I would LOVE to be wrong.

So I'm left to conclude that either I don't know what a good inside linebacker looks like, or this guy just isn't that special of a player. I've been playing, watching and studying football for 24 years and have seen plenty of stud linebackers that made me say "WOW". And for me, if you're picking at the top of the first round, you need to be able to say "WOW" about some aspect of a professional football player's abilities....as "SOLID" can be found in the 5th Round, and if you're lucky, you can even find a Zach Thomas.

 

What makes McClain 1st round material isn't his physical ability. He has solid physical ability but he's no freak of nature. However he has superior instincts and football intelligence. That's what puts him over Brandon Spikes. Spikes is a beast but he makes mental errors.

Just like you can't train a wide receiver to be faster (Sorry Davone Bess) or a QB to have a stronger arm (Sorry Chad Pennington) you can't teach instincts and McClain has them. A solid performer who always knows where the ball is going to be or where the play is going, someone who's good in coverage is well worth the 1st round pick to me.

 

If Dez Bryant is off the board, I definitely wouldn't mind that. I don't think we can pass on him though.

 

He might have great instincts, although it doesn't jump out to me on tape if I'm being perfectly honest with you, but that alone doesn't make him worthy of a high first round pick, IMO. Intincts without special physical ability sounds like a 3rd or 4th round draft pick to me. Could it be that the best ILB in this draft just doesn't deserve a first round grade? He might be the best ILB available, but that doesn't mean you spend a high pick on him and pass up a special talent. Zach Thomas had GREAT instincts and didn't go until the 5th round. Why? Because of size. If he had been McClain's size he'd have gone in round 1. But the key difference in the two, at least to me, is Zach topped off those instincts with phenominal motor/drive/heart. I see McClain half arsing it on too many plays to get by on instinct alone.

As an aside, would you mind elaborating on what exactly it is you see that makes him have great instincts? To me, if you do, you just always seem to be making the play that you really had no business making, and you can do so because you got an extra little break on the play by your hunch or quick reaction. It's a center fielder getting a phenominal jump on a line drive to make a catch that is normall a double (ala Jim Edmonds) or an ILB destroying a RB on an outside pitch play where he should have been blocked out of the play but beat it out because he got a great jump off his read and beat his man to the punch. Instinct is not simply being present for every pile up or inside run when your job is an inside linebacker. That just comes with the territory.

 

I could be wrong, Imean what the hell do I really know when it comes to the NFL draft but just watching McClain I have alwys been a bit underwhelmed <sp> by him. I see nothing in his game that makes me think he is going to be a great player... but like I said, what do I know. :wink2:

 

Heck, he might weven make the probowl (after the 20 or 30 other linebackers ahead of him bailout). :sidelol:

 

burrrn!

 

mcclain is a younger version of karlos dansby. not in the elite patrick willis, ray lewis class but in the next categiry below. what he has going for him is the same stuff that matt ryan had going for him as a QB.....amazing intangibles. He is one of the smartest and most instinctual linebackers I have seen play in college. ILB is a thinking man's position. He is a safe good pick. We can role the dice on some other player with a higher upside but there are no players that have less bust factor than him

 

I don't see him being as good as Dansby b/c he can't be used as effectively on third down.

 

He has better instincts and is a smarter player. Its a wash

 

I disagree. IMO, McClain's tackling ability, how he uses good form, is one of his best characteristics. There plenty of plays where he stops a runner in their tracks.

It's pretty obvious as good as he is on presnap reads that he does his homework as well.

Here is what nfldraftscout.com says about him. IMO, they are one of the top 2 online sources of draft info:

 

that was a truly great scouting report. pretty spot on. ive seen about six of his games this year and that is mcclain to a tee and the intangible part to me is a 11 on a scale of 1-10

 

I have no doubt that he's got great scouting reports across the board. But the essence of the discussion at hand is whether or not those reports are based more on substance or reputation. Personally, I don't see it...not for our first pick at least. I could be wrong...I hope I am...but I don't get that feeling about him. Heck, Sparano has said countless times how Crowder is a great defensive captain...knows his assignments...etc. etc., but how do we all feel about him after the last 5 years?