Universal Draft East-West Shrine Game Primer

http://www.universaldraft.com/2011/01/21/2011-east-west-shrine-game-pre-game-primer/

In there you'll find links to all of our practice reports from throughout the week, as well as a position by position breakdown, game prediction, and a list of my top 10 prospects heading into the game.

If you had to follow one link that put all the information you could want about the East-West Shrine Week at the click of your mouse, that would be it.

I really believe that reading all of the reports and wrap-ups would be a worthwhile venture, as there is plenty of rumor-mongering and intrigue that is written in the wrap-ups and reports that you might not find in the more general primer.

Enjoy.

 

How did I not know that? Man they have SUCH different bodies too!

 

Yeah you know I wasn't planning on going but I ended up talking myself into it, it helped that some high school buddies in Orlando texted me and said they were going, wanted to meet up.

I figured what the heck...I have a press box pass so I don't need to buy a ticket, and I have free parking, why not? So I went to the press box and that was an experience...sitting in a room full of broadcast and radio guys, media, etc. There I am in the bathroom waiting in line next to Charles Davis and Todd McShay. That press box is the only thing at the Citrus Bowl that looks nice. It was was clean, well built, real luxurious....totally un-Citrus Bowl-like. Free food, drinks. They passed out stats quarter by quarter. It was warm, too.

I came down for most of the second half to see my friends and you're absolutely right Alen, that sh-t was COLD! I retreated back to the warm press box but missed the Jerrod Johnson fumble in the end zone.

 

Here are my initial thoughts on the game, given I watched it live and didn't really focus on OL/DL play because I knew I could always grade that on the real tape.

1. The game played out much as I expected. I said I could see the East rushing for 200 yards, controlling the game that way, and winning 17-13. Well, they ran for 169 yards and won 25-8.

2. Way to stand out, Tyler Donahue! Not easy to stand out as a punter, but that recovery of the poor long snap and his improvised punt was probably the most impressive play of the game!

3. Now you probably see why I rated Syracuse RB Delone Carter as the #2 prospect in the game, behind only DT Marvin Austin? He had 11 runs for 54 yards and a TD, and was named Offensive MVP.

4. Very disappointing outing for QB Pat Devlin and I'm more convinced than ever that Miami needs to NOT target him in the Draft. It is not a valid strategy to pass on the top-tier talent in this Draft (Gabbert, Newton, Mallett), and opt for Devlin as a mid-round option. That would be disastrous for the Dolphins. I had about a 3rd or 4th round grade on Devlin heading into this week and that's how I think he played, both in practice and in the game. His game was a flipping disaster. He was 2 of 7 for 22 yards with 1 INT (a bad one, too). I still believe he deserves his 3rd or 4th round grade and that makes him one of the best prospects in Orlando this week, but the truth of the matter is if you're a team that needs a quarterback, bargain shopping for a guy like him is about the dumbest thing you can do.

5. When I was paying attention to OL/DL play, Marvin Austin looked beastly in this game. He deserves his #1 ranking on my list of players at this game.

6. Winston Venable put together a very solid outing. He had 4 tackles, 1 TFL and a 1 INT. He's one of my favorite players and he showed that you can be small as he is, if you are as explosive as he is, with a quick mind.

7. From what I had seen, I had Greg Smith as the best TE on the East, but I still thought all three of the West TEs were better than the best of the East TEs. That may not have been correct. Greg has me retreating back to the film to watch him. He always looked solid and quick, a real H-Back type, in practice...just not a standout. Well, he stood out in the game. Big.

8. I see you, David Sims. One of my favorite players heading into the week, as a safety during the practice week he didn't often stand out, and in fact there were times they put him in positions where he clearly wasn't comfortable, like when they had him pressing and covering WRs in one-on-one drills in the end zone. If he was in position to use his physicality, he made plays. But, if it was just footwork and mirroring, trying to stay in someone's hip pocket, could not be trusted. But, that's not what he'll do a lot of at the next level. I insist the guy is a playmaker, and showed that in 2009 when he had like 5 picks and was the conference's newcomer of the year. He's JACKED too, built like a brick sh-thouse. He can tackle, very reliable and smooth player. Well anyway, get him in an All Star setting, he's back to his play-making ways. He intercepted a ball.

9. I knew it. I knew Nathan Enderle would get more sound as the week progressed, and would look the best of the West QBs. I told people that all week, scatter shot in practice, but so too was Mike Kafka last year, but he started to get more solid by Thursday...and he dominated the game, looked the best of all the QBs. Well, to my eyes, Enderle did exactly the same. Still too adventurous, those throw to end the first half were AWFUL, but at the same time he threw the ball successfully into the end zone twice, and as a scout from Great Blue North and I were discussing, several of the plays he made on that drive were purely his play-making ability. I called him a more polished version of Jake Locker, without the 4.4 speed. That's exactly what he is, to me.

10. Another "I knew it"...on Scott Tolzien. I kept telling people all week, he can dominate these practices and that's all fine and good and he deserves praise for it, but my biggest criticism of him at Wisconsin was his handling of PRESSURE, and you can't replicate the speed of the game in practice, try as you might. He absolutely fell apart tonight, under the pressure of broken protection.

11. Corners...I paid a lot attention to the corners. Mario Butler was very aggressive, in fact too aggressive on one play, got flagged for getting there early. He should have had a pick. I remain not as impressed with Justin Rogers as some people, like Wes Bunting. Cortez Allen...that mofo can PLAY though. There was one play where Devlin was looking for Lestar Jean in the end zone...and Lestar showed all week that if he did have a strength, being physical off the line at the jam and especially in the end zone was one of those strong points. Cortez just erased him from that play, Devlin couldn't hit him. Brandyn Thompson was generally OK during the game but he did lose coverage several times, and I thought he performed better in practice than during the game.

12. Orie Lemon ended up with 8 tackles and 2.0 TFLs. All this guy does is find the ball and make tackles, and yet every time I look close, I don't particularly like what I see. WTF?

13. Way to blow your shot, Alex Green.

14. Where the eff did Justin Trattou come from? Guy was M.I.A. in practice. Tonight he was making plays everywhere. No joke he had 5 QB Hurries (more than the entire West team combined), 2 TFLs and 1 Sack. Oh, and a PBU, and 4 Tackles. What...the...FVCK.

15. Armon Binns may have leapfrogged Terrence Toliver as most overall impressive performance for practice week and game day combined. He has been consistent all week...and I thought he did good work tonight, though it went largely unnoticed by most I'm sure.

16. I thought putting Shiloh Keo on punt and kick returns looked really interesting to me. He did make a fair catch decision that I thought was borderline, but at the same time on other returns he looked fearless...which is something you'd characterize in him if you watch him play defense. That's a good quality to have in a punt return guy. If he continues to show good things on punt returns that will really boost his draft stock.

17. I thought Virgil Green continued to look very solid, personally.

18. Quote of the night. from my friend who writes for TakeYourSkirtOffTomBrady.com, explaining his putting money on the East, "The East squad has approximately 100% less Wade Phillips coaching them, and I believe that'll be the difference in the game."

 

He was actually at the urinal and I was waiting behind him. I was SO tempted to shove him into the urinal...but I figured I would get kicked out and probably never credentialed again, yadda yadda yadda. Course it might have still been worth it.

 

O'Donnell was awful all week and capped it off by being awful during the game, and yet I hear the broadcast guys on NFL Network kept talking him up.

Royster was Royster...good for 3 plays, bad on 10 more. He had that ONE run where I believe he gained 11 yards and absorbed two big hits, dishing a little bit of his own hit onto the defenders...but other than that, he was limp.

Delone Carter was so head and shoulders above the rest of the running backs, it was kind of ridiculous.

 

And the pressure, yes definitely.