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Looking ahead to 2010 prospects

Discussion in 'NFL Draft Forum' started by joeydolfan, Apr 29, 2009.

  1. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Soooo difficult to tell, because Murray State hasn't played anyone except NC State, and even that tape which I did manage to get hold of, features a heavy rotation and a good bit of confusion as to whether you're seeing Lane or not seeing him, and when you know you're seeing him, he struggled against NC State's underwhelming offensive tackles. That means that you're buying him on dominance of a very low grade of competition, and his physical dimensions (incl. speed/athleticism)...the latter of which nobody has had a chance to see up close and in some kind of confirmed way.

    His All Star work and Combine work will be critical.
     
  2. Big E

    Big E Plus sized porn star

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    IMO RBs have the easiest transition into the NFL. The game is faster, but thats how they play anyways, so. The thought of Spiller falling into our laps somehow is an amazing idea. One I dont see possible, but def. one I would not mind. And as for the Parcells draft methods, by now everyone should know, he has no consistent way he drafts yr from yr. He goes by need and BPA.
     
  3. Boomer

    Boomer Premium Member Luxury Box

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    Excellent post. Agree with all that. I think there's enough linebacker talent in free agency alone to make us feel a lot better about the position. There's a good deal of long defensive end to 3-4 OLB prospects for a little later in the draft as well as a guy like AJ Edds who we all like. You get the chance at a Dez Bryant with the 11th overall pick, then it's hard to pass on. All of a sudden a real weakness becomes a strength, especially if you add Antonio Bryant. All of a sudden you have a 1-5 in no particular order of Antonio, Dez, Davone, Hartline and Teddy Ginn. And I know this as fact, without the pressure of having to be 'the guy' will make Ginn a better player. And one thing you notice is that 1-5 doesn't include Camarillo or Pat Turner. Like I said - a weakness becomes a strength.
     
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  4. Boomer

    Boomer Premium Member Luxury Box

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    Just for the record and mainly because I'm writing this on my Blackberry and not my computer:

    1. CJ Spiller is a legitimate NFL back. I have no doubt about that. He's almost identical in size to Chris Johnson but he has much better muscle definition. He's a lot stockier.

    2. I have long made the point that Adrian Peterson is the best running back I saw in college football since seeing Barry Sanders at OSU. CJ Spiller is probably the 3rd or 4th best and he might be in the top 2 or 3 home run hitters I've ever seen in 22 or 23 years of taking the draft seriously. I don't see that changing at the next level because, like Johnson, he possesses super blue chip vision, an ability to change direction at top speed without losing any pace, speed to get to the edge that will defeat anything a pro defense has as well as hands that are in the Ronnie Brown department which is marked 'VERY GOOD'.

    3. Jeff Ireland runs Miami's drafts, pure and simple. Parcells adds his input and apparently spends much of his time in Davie watching college tapes, but this is Jeff's operation. I absolutely believe that Miami would take Spiller at 11, even with Brown and Williams. Ricky reiterated to Omar Kelly this week that he plans to retire after next season so that needs bearing in mind. If Jeff feels like Benn or Damian Williams or Golden Tate or whomever else is going to drop to that 43rd pick, then that makes picking Spiller at 11 even more legitimate. You leave the first two rounds with an offense that now contains Brown, Williams, Spiller, Henne, Antonio Bryant, Hartline, Bess, Ginn, Fasano....and one of those wideouts in 2, then I'm pretty comfortable with that on every level
     
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  5. Alex44

    Alex44 Boshosaurus Rex

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    Agreed. He's deceptively tough between the tackles for a guy his size IMO.
     
  6. Bjorn

    Bjorn Season Ticket Holder

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    As much as I would love to see Spiller in Miami. I would much rather take Dez and a RB later like Joe McKnight or Demarco Murray. I love what C.J. does on the field but I think there is a much higher likelihood in finding an impact RB later in the draft than finding an impact reciever. Look what they did in Dallas. Barber was a third or fourth round pick. Tashard Choice is a guy i always liked at Georgia Tech and he was a fourth rounder as well. I wouldn't be mad if C.J. came to Miami, just disappointed if we passed on Dez to get him.

    Hell, I would be on board if we went through the Dallas pipeline and gave them a third for Choice.
     
  7. Stitches

    Stitches ThePhin's Biggest Killjoy Luxury Box

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    I love watching Spiller. I would prefer Dez Bryant in rd 1, and Dwyer in rd 2 (if possible) than Spiller and Tate/Benn/Williams. However, I would be excited about either scenario.
     
  8. Boomer

    Boomer Premium Member Luxury Box

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    I too would prefer Bryant. Outside of Suh, McCoy and Berry who are unrealistic, Dez would be my pick.
     
  9. Boomer

    Boomer Premium Member Luxury Box

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    One player that I've been banging on about for 2 years who I think will make a very good SOLB for Miami because he's excellent against the run and can get after the QB, is a three year starter and comes in about 6'2, 260 is Jammie Kirlew of Indiana. He gets no love nationally but is a really solid football player, fundamentally sound and is bright, a team leader and a team captain since he was a sophomore.
     
  10. Stitches

    Stitches ThePhin's Biggest Killjoy Luxury Box

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    I think it is Brandon Graham from Michigan that always does well when I watch him (re: holding the point and getting after the QB when needed). Not sure he has the background (captain, etc) that Kirlew has.
     
  11. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    Spiller still has to get rid of those small injuries that occur often. That bothers me.
     
  12. Gunner

    Gunner Rock Hunter

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    Not sure if he has been discussed in this thread or not ... I did a search & nothing turned up ... but ...

    There is a rumor on ESPN Inside that DT Brian Price (UCLA) is all but gone to the NFL. Kiper has him as his #2 Junior DT on his blog ... is he a legit NT candidate for us at 6 2" 300? Would seem a little light in the pants at that weight ...
     
  13. Boik14

    Boik14 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Regarding the singleback set, how many times did they use a TE out of a singleback formation in that video? About half. The rest of the time they were looking to spread the field for Spiller using either 4WR or 2RB/3wr. I should have made myself more clear regarding the fact that when they go singleback its to spread the field in a manner similar to the way the Colts run the ball at times. When youre using the singleback as a way to spread the field and create running lanes, I do consider that a bit of a gimmick since its not used much in the NFL and a sign that you really arent a very good running team from traditional sets. All the receptions show is what I said originally, that hes more Eric Metcalf then anything else. I dont feel thats an insult since Metcalf had some excellent seasons but he was more a receiver then a back.

    Spiller is not a traditional back or an every down back to me. Everything done in that video is designed to get him in space which is a great way to use him at the college level. With past similar players it hasnt translated well to the pro game though and I cant see why Spiller would be any exception to that. I think he's an exciting player who brings different dimensions to a team and has a lot to offer but at 11 for the Miami Dolphins, hes overdrafted/probably not the best player on the board, and not a need. Even if Ricky retires I think we'd be looking for a more traditional between the tackles runner to take his place.

    That video backs up what I said about his runs. They do come from singleback, they do come from the shotgun. Im sorry you feel its an exaggeration or stretching of the truth but the video merely backs up that many of his big play runs come from shotgun and singleback sets designed to spread the field. In the pro's that luxury will not be nearly as prevalent.
     
  14. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    With his quickness off the snap, anything is possible for him. However, the guy has made the majority of his plays by attacking and penetrating off the line using that quickness, and you wonder what he would look like if you asked him to two-gap. He has almost zero ability to retrace and recover on his feet after initial penetration. He just falls to the ground. A lot. He's brutally strong, but doesn't have the balance you need at the NT position.

    Whether he could develop that stuff, I don't know. But I do know that as a college player his mentality is not where it needs to be, to be a nose tackle.
     
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  15. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    I just do not think the facts back you up on this. The Clemson Tigers make regular use of TE Michael Palmer, who is quite literally the most productive Tight End in Clemson school history. He is their second leading receiver behind Jacoby Ford. And, if you've ever seen Palmer play, you would know he's not one of those glorified wide receivers. He's 6'5" and 258 pounds, running a 4.94 according to NFL Draft Scout. They also make regular use of FB Chad Diehl, in fact he was featured a lot last night, blocking for their running backs.

    The fact that their second most productive pass catcher is an on-the-line type of Tight End seems to directly contradict your assertion that Spiller's snaps out of the singleback all come from 4-WR and/or "gimmick" sets.

    Bottom line is it's obvious the guy is more of a speed and slashing type back as opposed to a power back. Just leave it at that instead of trying to front some sort of scheme-incompatibility argument which really doesn't have legs.
     
  16. F.O

    F.O New Member

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    I agree with you CK... but let's take it a step further.

    I read an article before this season started that over 50% of college teams incorporate an element of the spread anyway. Hell, I think it was higher than that - closer to 60%

    Playing at UF certainly hasn't hurt Percy Harvin during his rookie NFL season. Because I remember people saying he would fail at the NFL level coming from that offense.. I'm pretty certain that the Vikings don't regret taking him for a second.

    I think as time goes along that view will die a slow death. Just gotta look at a player for what he is... in a capsule so to speak.. and to me, Spiller has NFL talent in boatloads and will be a great player at the next level.

    And it;s not like Clemson played in a gimmick offense anyway.. just making the point of "so what if they did"... things are changing in the NFL, AND in the college level as well.

    Hell, it goes way back to high school.. About 70% of high school football teams run a form of the spread offense today. That's a fact... That was unheard of when I played high school ball in the late 80's... everything was smashmouth back then.
     
  17. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    I see your point. Harvin was more WR at Florida than he was RB. He moved to WR in the NFL and was given responsibilities that he knows and can excel with, and it has worked out for the Vikings. Spiller is much, much more RB than WR, and when he gets to the NFL, his abilities will be accentuated at the NFL level as well.

    If you're grabbing an Anthony Dixon then yeah you want to pound the guy up the middle and beat defenses into submission. If you're grabbing a C.J. Spiller then you want to use a more slashing attack that lets him cut back, use misdirection, get him in space more, use him in the passing game, etc.

    Both philosophies are in widespread use at the NFL level. Both methods win NFL games for NFL teams. Either method *could* be painted as a way of covering up the player's flaws...but the fact of the matter is when you're talking about guys with such skill, they're much more about accentuating a player's abilities. Tennessee runs an offense and runs plays that accentuate Chris Johnson's abilities, and he tears up the league, and they win games because of him. The Giants ran an offense that accentuated Brandon Jacobs' abilities, and he did really well, and they won games because of him. Notice though that Jacobs, the prototypical huge and powerful pounder, has been more of a part time guy than Chris Johnson, the smaller and faster "finesse" guy.

    Therefore, I wouldn't assume that C.J. Spiller is destined to be a role player in his career just because of his size.

    BTW, another guy who is tearing up the league right now is Ray Rice...whom I absolutely adored coming out of college. He measured out at 5'8" and 199 pounds at the Combine.

    Spiller has a taller build. I'm not sure where he'll measure exactly but my guess would be about 5'10" and between 195 and 200 pounds. I think he and Felix Jones have similar builds, and Felix looked pretty damn good to me this year in Dallas. He wasn't used enough (only about 700 total yards) but he gained like 5.9 yards per carry.
     
  18. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    BTW our favorite opinion-stealer is at it again, on another board. I could have written these myself, word for word...

     
  19. Gunner

    Gunner Rock Hunter

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    Wow! That is unreal how closely it resembles many of your statements :lol:
     
  20. Conuficus

    Conuficus Premium Member Luxury Box

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    Well away from here
    It's either that we are as smart as he is - collectively. Or, he may just read some of the stuff we write and espouse. Gresham has been a bantered pick between us for some time, and some of these other things are just plain amazingly coincidental.

    :shifty:
     
  21. Conuficus

    Conuficus Premium Member Luxury Box

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    Just for what it's worth, RB's always tend to be better when they are 6' or under. It just seems that way, with that position. You don't want a tall guy as your running back. Ideally you'd like a guy about 5'9'' to 5'11'' to get the job done. The dynamics of the position feed into a player that is built slightly lower than to the ground, and typically these shorter players have that short area burst that enables them to get to and through a hole.

    Maybe I am way off, but being 5'10'' and having been a RB, most of my peers I ever met were of the same rough size. Weight is a different issue, but height wise I personally prefer a back within those guidelines give or take a little.
     
  22. Zanno

    Zanno Junior Member

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    I thought that was "really" true
     
  23. texanphinatic

    texanphinatic Senior Member

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    Question - Did Mardy Gilyard play much special teams in the PR/KR role? I would not mind picking him up in round 2 if we go another direction than WR in round 1.

    I think the Ted Ginn question (keep or cut) will in large part depend on what we do in regards to getting another KR - if we can get a guy who can do both PR/KR effectively, then I can very easily see Ginn as expendable.

    Edit: Remember when Lance Briggs was a FA? Man I really really wish we had brought him in, guy is a player. Sat on the FA market for awhile before he went back to chitown. We have GOT to come out of FA with at least 1 and preferably 2 big impact guys - be it a WR like Bryant/Edwards, an ILB like Ryans (I question him in a 3-4 though) or Jackson etc, or an OLB like Merriman.

    Wilfork would be ideal as well, but I see about a .1% chance of him getting out of NE - it was either him or Seymour, and that trade ended that debate rather quickly.
     
  24. Boomer

    Boomer Premium Member Luxury Box

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    I assume this is Fake Driscoll? It happens every year but he just keeps on plugging away.
     
  25. RoninFin4

    RoninFin4 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Gilyard played KR a good bit for UC this year; not sure about PR (I think he did) or if he played either as a junior.
     
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  26. texanphinatic

    texanphinatic Senior Member

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    Appreciate the info! If we did go to a position other than WR in round 1, if we are picking in the 10-15 spot there is a good chance we could still get a player at WR in round 2. Seems to me to be a fairly deep draft for them, though light of true clear #1s - Bryant only really. Some others will step up but who?

    In round 2 we could def. be looking at Tate, Benn, Gilyard, Williams, LaFell etc. Will be interesting to see how early some teams may bite on guys ahead of their "ideal time" - the Ravens are desperate for instance, but would Ozzie "top player" go for a Tate over another spot? This will be an interesting draft, but then again they all are. ;)

    As a followup to the Gilyard question - who in the first few rounds might also be able to also serve as a PR and KR besides their main roles. Ginn seems to be doing OK, but its hard to see if we go with him. And even still, PR is a liability for us and in need of an upgrade. Frankly, if we dont upgrade we may be better off sending 9 guys for a block rather than trying for returns. Would be innovative if nothing else.
     
  27. Big Red

    Big Red Long Lasting Freshness

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    WR Emmanuel Sanders from SMU is an excellent return man. Currently has a 7th round grade.
     
  28. mroz

    mroz Fix the OL Club Member

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    Jammie Kirlew interview:

    http://www.nfldraftblitz.com/blitz2009/jammiekirlewinterview.htm
     
  29. Boomer

    Boomer Premium Member Luxury Box

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    I'd almost finished writing three games worth of notes and my computer crashed and I lost all of it. I'm going to bed as I'm close to killing myself, being as though I'd been writing it for an hour and a half.
     
  30. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    Damn man, that sucks. My DVR has been randomly deleting some games, which is really pissing me off.
     
  31. Section126

    Section126 We are better than you. Luxury Box

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    I agree completely...except that Felix Jones wasn;t used enough because he keeps limping off the field after every 15 yard run.

    The good thing is that he usually has about 6 carries for 72 yards when the announcement of "questionable to return" comes in.

    I am BIG on CJ Spiller for us. BIG.

    BIG.

    REAL BIG.
     
  32. Bjorn

    Bjorn Season Ticket Holder

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    As much displeasure as i have had with Ted Ginn, I would like to see him get one more year. Atleast through camp. I understand that WR is a hard position to transition to and that year three is the magic year, but he has his place on the field and still has room to develop. Now if next year goes similar to this year I will be the first to throw him out of the stadium, but I am comfortable giving him one more season.
     
  33. Frumundah Finnatic

    Frumundah Finnatic U Mad Miami?

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    What do the gurus think of Damian Williams, I've heard him called a "safe pick", but so was Robiskie.

    Plus he is a USC WR so.....
     
  34. Stitches

    Stitches ThePhin's Biggest Killjoy Luxury Box

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    It's probably full. :tongue2:
     
  35. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    Lol you would think so but it's not. :dunno:
     
  36. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Fake Driscoll is getting more sophisticated. After hacking into your system and stealing your notes, he crashed your computer so that he's the only one that can post them.
     
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  37. Zeke0123

    Zeke0123 message board ******* Club Member

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    Reading an article about Mclain in PFW he sure seems to tick a lot of boxes in the "makeup" category I dont see how he wouldnt be VERY high on Irelands wishlist.
     
  38. Big Red

    Big Red Long Lasting Freshness

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    McClain still needs to declare and the Dolphins need to get that 11th overall draft pick.
     
  39. texanphinatic

    texanphinatic Senior Member

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    I keep seeing McClain going to Denver in a number of mocks at the spot they will get from Chicago. No doubt, he and DJ would be a potent force, and I could see it happening.
     
  40. Boomer

    Boomer Premium Member Luxury Box

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    Watched a couple of Bowl games last night – Utah/Cal and Clemson/Kentucky and before I go any further, I just want to reiterate a point Chris and I have talked about before which is the ridiculous talent level of freshmen and sophomores. You only have to look at someone like Shane Vereen to realise that there going to be some remarkable draft classes in 2011 and 2012 should they go ahead.

    Starting with the Utes/Bears and for me it contained three first round picks. One – Jahvid Best – was on the sideline, but the other two came to play.

    I hate watching offensive linemen because it takes me away from the real action. But Utah left tackle Zane Beadles has been getting some attention. But I came away disappointed. He’s not especially strong at the point and rarely played with a good base – he was far too narrow at times and had an annoying tendency to get far too low in pass protection. It’s one thing to sink your hips, but Zane would sink his entire frame and on a narrow base, he became off balanced. To give him his due, he WAS playing against a very, very good player in Tyson Alualu but nevertheless. He needs a lot of work on his technique and on using his hands if he has a pro future.

    At WR, Utah’s catch everything David Reed passed 80 grabs for the season. He’s well sized with solid hands and although he’s not a great route runner, he does make an awful lot of yards after the catch. He has some special teams value as well and at around 6’0 and 195lbs and running a 4.42 forty, I’d say he has some late round potential. It’s worth noting however, that when he played the boundary side, matching him up on Syd’Quan Thompson, he didn’t record a catch.

    Defensively the Utes have a couple of decent players. Every time I watched Sean Smith last season – four occasions – the one player, Smith aside, that always flashed at me was the Rover linebacker Stevenson Sylvester. He’s been disrupted by injuries all season which means that his stock has fallen, but he’s very active, possesses good instincts and is always around the football. At 230lbs he’s too light for Miami, but a team looking for a decent contributing linebacker with starters potential should look no further than Sylvester. A team captain, he’s not blessed with great speed, but he makes a lot of plays in the backfield and on the perimeter and has the ability to cover backs, tight ends or, as evidenced in this game, receivers down the field. At times he struggles to get off blocks coming straight at him, but he rarely allows himself to be steered out of the lane. He will maintain position and stay in control of himself. He finished the game and his Utes career with a nice pick 6.

    The first of the first rounders is Utah FS Robert Johnson, Mroz’s boy. He’s a very interesting player on and off the field. The Utes defensive staff place a huge amount of trust in him and his athletic ability because on around 75% of the plays he is the only safety. He literally plays 4 quarters coverage on his own as they man up on receivers on the outside and try and play a 4-4 front. Thus, he has recognition duties that go way above what most safeties are asked to do. He didn’t do a great deal until two monster decleaters on Verran Tucker on back to back plays across the middle. Superbly timed hits that separated man from ball but would have separated man from earth if Tucker hadn’t have been wearing pads and a helmet. On first look, it seemed as though he was actually late in coming across, but when you rewind the tape, you see that he was the only safety and therefore it was no surprise that he was a stride late. He then caused Sylvester’s pick 6, breaking very well to the ball in front of him and diagnosing the play before it had left the QB’s hand. Then he had a pick of his own on the perimeter, again flashing big time read and recognition and athletic skills. It was a tad disappointing that he gave up the final TD at the end as he was well looked off by the QB and didn’t get back in, in time, especially as it was one of the few times they were playing with a conventional secondary. But he’s a good player, well sized and the best ball playing free safety not called Eric Berry or Earl Thomas. He can be a little hesitant playing the run, which has been an issue for him in seasons past, but generally he ticks all the boxes. Off the field he’s going to interview really well. From South Central, his father was shot and murdered when he was 6, but he’s become a huge character in the community around the Utes campus, attending workshops for disadvantaged kids, running Pee Wee football in the summer and giving talks about his background.
    One sophomore of note is Sealver Siliga who rotated in and out of the DL but has a little Paul Soliai about him, weighing in around 305 and looking like one for the future at DT.

    For Cal, missing Best was an issue and it was good to see that he’s just a game away from returning after that horror injury. Vereen aside there wasn’t a lot going on offensively but it was the DL where the game’s second 1st rounder played. Senior DE Tyson Alualu was as impressive a defensive lineman as I’ve seen all season and that includes Derrick Morgan of Georgia Tech. He flashed on almost every play and he flashed because he has an understanding of the position that goes way beyond his 22 years. He can stack and shed and was doing it down after down, standing Beadles up and then getting off the block to make a play. He had a decent spin, a tremendous push/pull move and an outside pass rush with a vicious chop. He’s not the most impressive pass rusher, but he’s an all rounder and is a brilliant run defender. This guy is an oak. I mean it, he’s an absolute oak. He NEVER goes backwards, he ALWAYS stays on his feet and he is ALWAYS around the ball. What I like about him best is that he has excellent play awareness; he always knows where the ball and the ball carrier are and he manipulates the offensive line to get to it. He plays with tremendous leverage and flashes tremendous hands. He was crushing the right side of the Utes OL play after play and he made a 4th quarter play that summed up everything I’ve talked about. At the snap he’s lined up on Beadles. He engages, sees run between the A gap and crashes down into the guard who stands him up. But he gets under the guard and moves him to the side enough so that he can reach his hand round, grab Wise and literally throw him to the ground. Awesome strength. The search for the next Jay Ratliff has become a cliché, but at 6’3, 295 and with his overpowering strength, I could absolutely see it. I have no doubt that when all’s said and done, he’ll end up in round 1.
    His line mate, junior Cameron Jordan should stay in school for another year. He’s aggressive and is a very fluid mover, especially when changing direction at pace but he doesn’t have the nuances of good end play down pat. He’s rather naïve in the way he approaches the game and could do with another seasons seasoning.

    One of my favourite defensive backs is Syd’Quan Thompson of Cal. He will play press, he’ll play man off and he’ll play zone. Immediately he doesn’t side saddle as much as he did the previous two seasons but he really peeks into the backfield an awful lot. He’s hyper aggressive in the run game and whilst a little undersized, is compact and muscular in the upper body and is a good leaper. He didn't drop deep enough in zone for the Utes first score and got a bit lucky on the flea flicker touchdown to Reed because he lost the ball in the air and then lost Reed himself and must have been happy to see the flag, but he blanketed Reed after that and did a good job of coming off his man in the second half and tipping the half back pass. I think he’s a solid 3rd round type at worst.

    After that I watched Clemson/Kentucky. It’s all been said about CJ Spiller, but I’ll just add this one point; no-one and I mean no-one, turns the corner on the short side of the field with as much quickness as Spiller and that includes Chris Johnson. His body control is remarkable especially on the perimeter.

    His speedy wideout mate Jacoby Ford had a decent game with a nice touchdown catch, but what is he? He’s blessed with sprinter speed but is tiny height wise. I think he has an NFL future for sure but probably only as a slot man.

    Michael Parker makes a lot of catches for the Tigers and whilst he’s not a great blocker and not a speed threat, he finds consistent holes in the defence. I think he could end up as a solid #2 target at the next level because he has good size. On the OL, Thomas Austin falls off too many blocks for me to be a legitimate G candidate. And he plays soft.

    Defensively, Ricky Sapp is the most overrated prospect in the draft and you can take that to the bank. In his final game as Tiger he was atrocious. What a legacy to leave behind. Against two low calibre senior tackles, he was beasted all game. Strictly an up the field rush guy, he has no rush. How he made 15 TFL this past season is beyond me because he has nothing in his locker. Nothing. He doesn’t set a guy up, he doesn’t cut back inside, he doesn’t have a swim move and he’s not strong enough to bullrush. Against the run he was just as invisible. Take this play; 2nd and 2 early in the 2nd half and it’s a sweep to the left. He moves to his right and engages with LT Justin Jeffries and can’t get off the block. He finally does, but only by pulling Jeffries facemask and yanking his head around. So he’s free. All of a sudden the FB comes over but doesn’t have the angle. Except Sapp inexplicably allows him the angle and gets blocked for the 2nd time as Locke goes past him for a first down. Awful. Later on he was being blocked out of the hole by the 5'9, 189lb Locke himself. He finally made a tackle with 5.30 to go in the game, peeling off and stopping Morgan Newton short of a first down. I would not touch Ricky Sapp in the first four rounds. No way, no how.

    Defensively Crezdon Butler was in and out as usual. For a forty game starter there’s times he looks like a freshman on the corner.

    The strength of the Clemson team is on the DL with Malachi Goodman, Jarvis Jenkins and Da’Quan Bowers. I tagged Bowers as a future number one overall pick and whilst he didn’t have his best game, he was still good. Jenkins is a junior who should stay in school for a final year but should be a high pick in 2011 and Goodman is a freshman with ridiculous physical talent.

    Cavell Connor was very active at LB, but the star was DeAndre McDaniel. I wanted him at FSU and he’s from Tallahassee and from a big Seminoles family so it was very disappointing to see him leave and go to the Tigers. He has major league ability from his SS spot. As a junior, he’s leaning towards going back after being given a cautious 2nd round grade. But he has everything you look for in a pure strong safety; good instincts, good vision and a fearless nature when playing run. He’s incredibly aggressive in run support and made 15 tackles and 2TFL in that game alone. He diagnoses quickly and has god athletic ability to get around the field, getting to the perimeter in a hurry and I never saw him miss a tackle. He can take on and get off a block either at the second level or at the line of scrimmage and his fearlessness was evidenced by one play in the 4th quarter. Kentucky brought out Moncell Allen who allegedly is 225 but MUST be 260lb as he has some SERIOUS junk in his trunk. His first carry went up the middle for about 15 with linebackers hanging off him. They gave it him again through the B gap and about one yard past the line of scrimmage, an orange missile wearing number two came up, hit him low and that was it. He never made the field again and he went down like a lead balloon. McDaniel has had some off field issues; a contested assault charge on a girlfriend where he allegedly tried to choke her and threatened to kill her and he served some community service to have the charge expunged from his records. I think he’s a borderline one.

    For Kentucky, Morgan Newton as a true freshman looks a real talent at QB. Big, strong like an ox and with a very good arm, he has high first round possibilities down the road if he trains on. He looks like a young Steve McNair. Needs to control his weight though.

    Micah Johnson would be a fine ILB if you never asked him to move. Straight line inside plays, he’s a rock, but ask to make a play on the move or take on a block on the move, he can’t do it consistently. Now, if you pair him with Patrick Willis or someone like that, he can be effective. But not next to Channing Crowder.

    One of the more disappointing players is Trevard Lindley who at the start of last season I thought he could develop into a high1st round pick. But he’s just not trained on and he was taken to the cleaners for 6 by Jacoby Ford on a post route, where he wasn’t fluid at all in is hips and fell over in trying to regain any sort of position on Ford. He’s a little high in his back pedal and really did little all night.

    Of the youngsters, Corey Peters of Kentucky, the DE is going to be very good as is Andre Ellington as the new CJ Spiller. These bowl games are filling up my machine thick and fast!
     

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