Hey this is going to be sort of a running observation thing from the Canes-Badgers game.
*I was going to say before this game that amongst the Miami players I'll be looking at for this draft is Sam Shields. He is extremely fast. Extremely. And, considering he JUST made the move to corner, I think he's played pretty well at that spot. He doesn't get more play, just because he doesn't have that sort of reputation that causes most offenses not even to throw at you as happens when most corners get a good reputation (unless they're bracketed by a corner just as good, as is the case with North Carolina, we'll talk about those two later). But I wouldn't be surprised if Shields becomes a good NFL corner.
*Well anyway...look at this kid's running ability on this opening kickoff return for a TD. Do you know where he started on the play? He started all the way to the right side of the field, on the front lines of the return team. He ran backward all the way to the 20 yard line, looped around, took the handoff, and looped all the way to the left side of the field, and all the way down for a TD...basically running a giant U (fitting). He must have run a total of 170 yards on that play in one constant speed setting. And he still outran everyone. Unbelievable.
*Leonard Hankerson is feisty in this game. He's really making an effort to block. *ALERT* This means he's coming out for the draft. Just watch. He's trying to show the scouts that he's a player on every single play.
*Jimmy Graham is being showcased for the scouts. He's on the line in a normal Tight End position, blocking O'Brian Schofield a lot...and doing a good job. He's made at least one basketball rebound like grab too, showcasing that speed, superb size, natural hands and fantastic vertical. I like Jermaine Gresham but I don't know that I don't see more potential in Jimmy Graham. Sky is the limit.
*Orlando Franklin has always been another Branden Albert in my book. I've been calling him the best Guard in the country. Tonight with Jason Fox opting for surgery that benefits his NFL prospects, Franklin is playing LT...and my impression is....WELL. He's so big and strong, nasty and mobile. He finds work, he finds ways to dominate. That's what Jeff Otah did a lot for me, so it's no surprise I like Franklin.
That's it for now. I was going to scrub through play for play for the first half and give more detail to my observations but I just lost the entire first half of recording.
I'll keep going as I see more.
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dolfan22, sports24/7, Section126 and 1 other person like this.
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Here's some (some random) notes I've written lol.
- Wow! Stupid penalty. I knew it as soon as I saw it. Shield was going to the house anyways.
- Graig Cooper has really turned into a quality running back this year. He's taken the next step IMO. He's not doing so much thinking, more of reacting this year and it's really paid off. His vision still could get better but he's got great acceleration, he can stop on a dime and make a sharp cut and he's shown his versatility this year. A couple months ago I brought him up as a guy who could be a real, real sleeper for the late first round.
- Jacory Harris will be at worst a late first rounder once Whipple is done with him IMO. He's got a bit of a long delivery but it's not Byron Leftwich-like. He throws a quality deep ball and he's accurate. He just needs to be more disciplined in his decision making and he needs to do a better job of feeling the pressure from the blind side. He needs to work on passing the ball when pressured and in tight windows, as that's been an issue for him. He's had a lot of open wide receivers because of Whipple's multiple shallow crosses that he's implemented with LaRon Byrd and Leonard Hankerson.
- Ray Ray Armstrong with the special teams tackle. He played here locally. He's going to be a nice player hopefully. Lots of speed.
- Lots of it.
- What a disappointment Demarcus Van Dyke has been.
- Gabe Carimi, when he comes out, is going to be a high pick. I'll have more on him later.
- Great play by Colin McCarthy at 13.12 in the first. He's quietly a solid player for Miami and is going to be an interesting guy to monitor. He's had a ton of injuries but definitely talented.
- Good hands and route by Garrett Graham. He did a nice job planting his inside foot and turning back outside for the catch. He created a small bit of separation on the play and it was just enough. Caught it with his hands, which is important.
- Gabe Carimi down. Not good. Hope he's alright. That was an ugly injury.
- Allen Bailey is doing a very good job setting the edge thus far. He's playing strong side end and his strength is just overpowering. I absolutely love the guy. Very raw but very, very talented.
- There he goes! Outstanding bulrush. Reminds me of Brian Orakpo there. Sink your hips, keep your feet moving and power through.
- Great run Cooper. Fight through the tacklers.
- Orlando Franklin playing left tackle I believe.
- Cooper's last game? He's being used quite a bit in the game plan early.
- That was ugly by Franklin and a great use of quickness by Watt. Franklin struggled to move his feet laterally and mirror the end.
- Poor job by Garrett Graham on the goal line at 7.45 to wall off the end, Andrew Smith. If he clears that lane, they have a touchdown probably.
- Going back on the big reception, looks like Colin McCarthy had trail technique on the man out of the backfield and took too many steps forward to fill the gap if it was a run, leaving him behind the tailback. Sam Shields appeared to be playing zone. It also looks like Randy Phillips blew coverage over the top, as Garrett Graham an in and out move and drew Phillips back to the middle of the field, despite having Vaughn Telemaque there patrolling the middle already.
- Daryl Sharpton can really fly.
- Watt is making plays. That was piss poor pass protection by the tailback though.
- Franklin fired out high on that 3rd and 8 and then bent at his waist. By the time he did all that, Shofield ran right by him.
- Brandon Harris reminds me some of Joe Haden.
- Garrett Graham isn't impressing as a blocker right now. On that screen, in space Graham allowed Daryl Sharpton to shed the block and make the play.
- Very nice catch by Jimmy Graham. That's the indefensible pass/catch, which will surely raise his stock because he can run, he can catch and he can get up there. He's also athletic and a former basketball player, which is what NFL teams look for now.
- Orlando Franklin is being shuffled around, at left and right tackle early in the first.
- Jacory Harris afraid of contact?
- O'Brien Shofield is really quick off the edge for Wisconsin. He's rotated at strong side and weak side tonight and he's applied pressure. I believe each time Harris has scrambled out of the pocket, it's been because of Shoefield. Keep an eye on him.
- Harris doesn't look good when pressured, which is a concern I stated earlier.
- On that fourth down, Jimmy Graham showed why he's so raw and needs work. He did a very poor job selling that in route. No use of his shoulders and eyes or his feet. Just rolled that route and the linebacker was just trailing him all the way.
- O'Brien Shofield was raising hell again off the edge on that fourth down, by the way.
- Great job by Tolzien staying in there to take the lick and deliver the pass. I like that. -
That lick was from Colin McCarthy btw. Schofield is good pass rushing against a back...but honestly Jimmy Graham is handling him in blocking on some downs and that just shouldn't happen if you're O'Brien Schofield.
Orlando Franklin deserves SOME breaks here, it's his first game at LT. -
A little more good and bad for Jimmy Graham. He got Jacory killed when he motioned into the backfield as an H-Back blocker, totally whiffed. Then just now he had a nice reception to help get the sticks closer.
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He made that look easy. Linebacker was out of position to start that one, he needed to hurry up his route to keep the spacing. Good job by him.
I tell ya, I've been doing more work on Jermaine Gresham lately, and I don't know that I don't take Jimmy Graham over him. -
Very next play after that catch, he takes big #99 out to the sideline on a stretch play and just flat out pancakes him. Total domination.
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I like Graham's hands more, honestly. He's also bigger and probably just as good of a blocker. Gresham is talented but he has those mental lapses at times that bother me. You watch him last year against Oklahoma State? He had one pass that hit him RIGHT in the hands in the back of the end zone, which he was wide open, and he dropped it.
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Hah, you caught that already, my bad.
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Had another like that against Texas, popped it up and luckily it was a fellow WR and not a CB who was right behind him and collected it for a touchdown.
Jimmy Graham has those moments. But obviously he's got more excuse. The thing that bothers me about Gresham's running is it often looks lazy. That can either be the result of a lack of intensity, lack of speed, or his being a long strider...none of those things are a good thing.
Brandon Harris continues to be stellar. -
Allen Bailey is as enigmatic as ever. What do you DO with him? He's so damned athletic you almost wonder what he'd look like with a little bit of weight drop and being played in space.
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Agreed on Gresham's running. I don't think it's laziness, I think it's more of a lack of quickness and his stride, which you point out.
Harris I really like. He's had his games this year but he's also had some inconsistent ones. He's got some Joe Haden in him, as he allows quite a few completions at times but he's also showed his talent in the past. I like him, if he keeps working, he'll go pretty high IMO. -
O'Brien Schofield just put on a heck of a pass rush just before the half, causing that scramble. Franklin was really the only OL doing his job on the play.
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I'd plug him in at RT for sure. He's a mauler.
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Give him time and coaching I do wonder if he could even be a LT. He has so much improvement he could make on his technique that I'm not sure where that ceiling is.
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Really excited about Jimmy Graham's talent level and potential. I think there is a strong possibility he shows up a the Senior Bowl, rocks it and impresses the coaches by taking their coaching and putting improvement out on the field, and you watch how high he gets drafted after that and a strong Combine.
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I tell you something that Jeff Ireland is going to notice and love about Allen Bailey, and that's his build. He's got a long torso with short legs, just like they talked about with Patrick Turner. Ireland and Pat Kirwan once joked on the radio about how everyone was looking for that Howie Long build, where you're really tall but with a short inseam. That's Allen Bailey.
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The Rev Totus Tuus Staff Member Administrator Luxury Box Club Member
Music to my ears, brother. I would love me some Jimmy in a Dolphin uni. alen knows that by now.If he keeps improving, would it be far fetched to think he might be a second round pick? I know he is a third round pick now, and alen was saying McShay had him at a second round.
But with your opinion of wanting him over Gresham, it might be feasible that we can go LB in the first round and then Graham in the second. Problem is, doesn't this administration like 4 year starters? -
Typical mistake for a guy making his first start at tackle, Franklin blocking down when he should have grabbed the outside rusher, allowing a free shot at the QB.
Jacory missed an open Graham dragging the middle waiting to gain the first down with RAC. -
Is he coming back for sure? I wouldn't mind having him as a DE or as an OLB.
If he were to come out, what grade you think he has? 2nd? -
From what I know, he's back for sure. Hankerson is 70/30 but I don't know which way he's leaning yet.
And if he comes out, he's somewhere around there. Late first/early second. He could skyrocket to mid first though with a strong combine because teams have a potential over production concept now. And while he has production ( 7 sacks this year), his potential is even greater. As I said earlier, he looks like a more athletic Brian Orakpo at times IMO. Like Orakpo, he could be a better player standing up because he could be a better reader of the game. Orakpo couldn't defend the run well in a three point stance but in a two point stance, he impressed me. He's done both at Washington since being drafted IIRC.RoninFin4 likes this.
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