Alvin Dupree – Arik Armstead – DEs

[Agamemnon]

http://www.ourlads.com/nfl-draft/

Agamemnon

[zn]

Defensive end could be in Rams’ draft plans

http://m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/…top&rand=ref~{“ref”:”http://t.co/kGE2wlPXvy”}

EARTH CITY, Mo. — St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher has never made any bones about his affinity for drafting defensive linemen early and often.

In Fisher’s two decades as an NFL head coach in Houston, Tennesee and now in St. Louis, he believes he has often found the intersection of value and need in the first round by landing another pass-rusher even if his team is already well-stocked at the position.

Which is why perhaps nobody should be surprised if his Rams use the No. 10 overall pick on a pass-rusher this year despite more glaring needs in the short term.

“It would not be inconceivable to take another defensive end,” Fisher said. “We like defensive ends and tackles. It’s not out of the realm of possibilities.”

With Fisher, it never is. Since he arrived in St. Louis in 2012, the Rams have taken a defensive lineman in the first round in two of the past three drafts in the form of defensive tackles Michael Brockers (2012) and Aaron Donald (2014).

But the track record extends well beyond that. As the coach of the Tennessee/Houston franchise from 1994 to 2010, the Titans/Oilers used 12 first- or second-round picks on a defensive end or defensive tackle. In Fisher’s final three seasons in Nashville, the Titans drafted an end or tackle in the first two rounds in each of those years.

Fisher’s belief is pretty simple: You can never have enough pass-rushers. It’s why the Rams probably would have taken endJadeveon Clowney with the No. 2 overall pick in 2014 had he slipped past the Houston Texans despite greater, more pressing immediate needs.

Strange as it may sound, however, taking a lineman, particularly an end, this year might be more of a need than many realize. While the Rams have strong depth at the position for 2015 with the likes of Robert Quinn, Chris Long, William Hayes, Eugene Sims and Ethan Westbrooks, that depth could be fleeting.

Quinn is the group’s premiere player and under contract through the 2019 season. Other than Quinn, the rest come with varying degrees of question marks about their future in St. Louis. Long’s deal runs through 2016 but his cap number for that year is $14.25 million. He’ll need a strong bounce-back year after a 2014 injury cost him most of the season for the Rams to retain him at that number.

Hayes and Sims are both scheduled to be unrestricted free agents after this season, and though both provide excellent depth, Hayes has had injury issues and Sims has never been more than a solid if unspectacular player. Westbrooks has flashed potential but it remains to be seen whether he can develop into a starting-caliber player.

Given all of that and adding that the Rams’ fundamental defensive philosophy centers on generating pass rush, adding an end could be higher on the priority list than it might seem. That is only buoyed by a draft that looks to be rich in prospects at the position.

Most NFL draft pundits rank USC’s Leonard Williams, Nebraska’s Randy Gregory, Florida’s Dante Fowler Jr., Missouri’s Shane Ray and Clemson’s Vic Beasley as top-10-caliber prospects. The scheme or personality fit for each player might not necessarily be a match for the Rams but with so many of them ranked in that range, it’s entirely possible that one could fall into the Rams’ lap and stand out as the best player on the team’s board.

Even with the team’s pressing needs on the offensive line still unsettled, Fisher believes the Rams will have the ability to draft the best player available when the time comes but also mentions the chance that someone could want to move up if that type of player isn’t what the Rams are looking for.

[PressureD41]

Atl would be stupid to pass on Dupree. I hope we draft him at 10th pick in all honestly. C. Long is a cap cut target next season. Draft Dupree focus on signing Fairley and Brockers to deals. W/ Quinn and Dupree as bookends
Lots of interior OL in rd 2-4

[wv]

PressureD41 wrote:

Atl would be stupid to pass on Dupree. I hope we draft him at 10th pick in all honestly. C. Long is a cap cut target next season. Draft Dupree focus on signing Fairley and Brockers to deals. W/ Quinn and Dupree as bookends
Lots of interior OL in rd 2-4

I dunno. Is it really a sure thing to draft OLinemen
in rounds 2-4 ? I mean, what’s the bust/disappointment rate
for those rounds?

I would not cut C.Long next year. I think he’s
a good leader and a good player, and I’d keep him
at least two more years.

w
v

[Herzog]

If Chris can stay healthy this year, than I wouldn’t cut him either. But if he gets injured again, I think it would be his third year in a row, than I would save the cap space (even though I love him).

[PressureD41]

I too like C. Long but his cap number is 14,250,000. Age and wear and tear It would be wise from a business stand point to redo his contract or make a tough decision and cut him. He will be 31 next season entering year 8 w/ us..

CURRENT CONTRACT

Chris Long signed a 4 year, $48,200,000 contract with the St. Louis Rams, including a $6,050,000 signing bonus, $23,550,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $12,050,000. In 2015, Long will earn a base salary of $7,000,000 and a roster bonus of $3,000,000. Long has a cap hit of $12,500,000 while his dead money value is $8,000,000.

CONTRACT:4 yr(s) / $48,200,000 SIGNING BONUS$6,050,000 AVERAGE SALARY$12,050,000 GUARANTEED:$23,550,000 FREE AGENT:2017 / UFA
Year Base Salary Roster Bonus Option Bonus Restruc. Bonus Misc. Cap Hit Dead Cap
2012 Contract details by year $10,310,000 – $4,500,000 $6,050,000 $-1,852,500 $19,007,500 –
2013 Contract details by year $7,050,000 – – $1,500,000 – $8,550,000 $13,250,000
2014 Contract details by year $10,200,000 $200,000 – $2,500,000 – $12,900,000 $17,900,000
2015 Contract details by year $7,000,000 $3,000,000 – $2,500,000 – $12,500,000 $8,000,000
2016 Contract details by year $9,750,000 $2,000,000 – $2,500,000 – $14,250,000 $2,500,000
2017 Free Agent Year UFA
Contract Notes:
$36.76 million guaranteed (Signing Bonus: + 2012-13 salaries)
2015-16 Roster Bonus: $2 million
2013 Restructure Bonus: $6 million
2014 Roster Bonus: $200,000
2014 Restructure: $3M/3 years
Sources: NFL contract specifics generally collected from the NFLPA, Rotoworld, & OTC.

[zn]

PressureD41 wrote:

I too like C. Long but his cap number is 14,250,000. Age and wear and tear It would be wise from a business stand point to redo his contract or make a tough decision and cut him. He will be 31 next season entering year 8 w/ us..

His current cap hit is 12.5 M. http://overthecap.com/salary-cap/st-louis-rams/

He had his contract finagled a few times to create a bit of cap space, and you may have old numbers.

He goes to 14.25 M in 2016. That may mean he is gone after 2016. It MIGHT mean he is gone after 2015. If he is gone after 2015, it represents a 11.7+ cap savings. I suppose they balance that with how much he contributes. I would not bet on it either way right now, myself. (That is right now it seems just as possible that they will keep him in 2016 as it is that they will cut him after 2015).

And of course they still could take a DE this draft even if he is still with them in 2016.

Another factor? Hayes’s contract is done after this year. He has been injured several times, if that is a consideration.

[PressureD41]

There is good depth for OL this draft. Dupree has that extreme quick 1st step like R. Quinn and is currently at 270 lbs

[PressureD41]

Sims and Haynes age and contract is coming up, so I did have that in the back of my mind.

Bud Dupree
OLBSenior6-4, 269 lbsKentucky
Scouts Grade86
Position Rank6
Overall Rank41
40-YD Dash4.56
ConferenceSEC
2014 NCAA Football Stats
Tackles Sacks INT
74 7.5 1
ProfileNFL CombineConversation
Overall Football Traits
Production 1 2011: (12/3)- 21-2.5-2.5 2012: (12/12)- 91-12.5-6.5 2013: (11/11)- 61-9.5-7 2014: (12/10) – 74-12.5-7.5 Career: 4 FF, 5 PBU, 1 INT, 2 BK

Height-Weight-Speed 2.. Prototypical height and weight for a 3-4 OLB prospect. Has a good bubble and thickness throughout his lower body. Has excellent straight-line speed for his size. Arm length (32 5/8 inches) is slightly above-average and hand-span (9 3/4 inches) is on par. Explosive leaping ability: 42-inch vertical jump and 11 foot 6 inch broad jump at combine.
Durability 2 Has played in 37 career games including 36 starts. Left the South Carolina game in 2013 with a strained pectoral muscle and did not play the following week versus Alabama. Missed part of the Florida game in 2014 while dealing with cramps. Dealt with some minor injuries throughout the 2014 season but did not miss any playing time. Tweaked a hamstring during combine workout.

Intangibles 1…. Nickname is Bud. Has outstanding personal and football character. Is involved in FCA and is a good decision-maker off the field. Takes football seriously but is a well-rounded, well-liked person with no off-the-field incidents. A self-motivator. The son of Sophia Stephens and Alvin Dupree Sr. Is a community and leadership development major.
1 = EXCEPTIONAL2 = ABOVE AVERAGE3 = AVERAGE4 = BELOW AVERAGE5 = MARGINAL
Outside Linebacker Specific Traits
Instincts/Recognition 2 Works hard in tape room and transfers it to the field. Picks up on player tendencies. Has the ability to play multiple positions and shows good natural football instincts. Reads his keys and shows solid discipline from the backside. Shows good ball recognition versus the run. Has above-average awareness in zone coverage, especially for comparatively limited reps.
Take-on Skills 3 Has adequate strength to set the edge but it’s not the strong point of his game. Flashes explosive pop at times but needs to play with more violence and with more consistency at the point of attack. Needs to continue to develop as a hand fighter and has trouble anchoring when bigger OTs get into his frame. Shows discipline with outside contain and has athleticism to disrupt the backfield. Also makes more plays in backside pursuit than most DE/OLB types do.
Range vs. Run 1…. Very good athlete with outstanding top-end speed. Holds up well in space and shows easy change-of-direction skills. Gives consistent effort chasing in pursuit.

Tackling 2…. Reliable overall tackler. Flashes explosive snap but lacks consistent knock-back power. Has impressive body control and ability to break down in space for his size. Still will get into trouble when he comes in too hot in outside pursuit at times. Does good job of wrapping up and driving legs through contact.

3rd Down Capabilities 2…. Offers excellent scheme versatility because of his ability to rush the quarterback and drop into coverage. Has good get-off quickness and very quick hands to keep OTs’ hands off his pads. Has excellent redirect skills and closing burst. Shows ability to dip and bend turning the edge and flashes a quick closing burst once gaining the corner. Still needs polish as a pass-rusher. Seems to lack a game plan at times. Needs to refine pass-rush moves. Also must learn to use hands better and maintain better pad level when converting speed-to-power.
Is surprisingly athletic and fluid in coverage for his size. Consistently shows ability to turn and run with TEs in one-on-one situations. Has good range in zone coverage and looks comfortable in space.
1 = EXCEPTIONAL…2 = ABOVE AVERAGE..3 = AVERAGE..4 = BELOW AVERAGE..5 = MARGINAL

• This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by PressureD41.

[Agamemnon]

NFL

Find this article at:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000482209/article/lsus-danielle-hunter-wows-scouts-with-dazzling-proday-display
LSU’s Danielle Hunter wows scouts with dazzling pro-day display

By Gil Brandt
NFL Media senior analyst
Published: March 28, 2015 at 07:21 p.m.

Representatives from all 32 NFL teams — including the general managers from the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, and offensive line coaches from the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers — were present for LSU’s pro day on Friday, when 20 players worked out indoors on FieldTurf.
» 2015 pro days schedule, results and analysis

Outside linebacker Kwon Alexander (6-foot 3/4 inches, 227 pounds) had a good positional workout. He moves well and is very athletic. Alexander worked as both a linebacker and as a hand-in-the-ground pass rusher.

Cornerback Jalen Collins (6-1 3/8, 199) was unable to work out due to a foot operation that took place within the past couple of weeks. Dr. Bob Anderson in Charlotte performed the surgery for the Jones fracture, and has sent a letter to each team at LSU’s pro day to assure them that Collins will be ready for minicamp.

Offensive tackle La’el Collins (6-4 5/8, 320) is very athletic and had a really good positional workout. He is described as the typical small-town Louisiana kid.

Running back Kenny Hilliard (5-11 1/2, 223) ran the 40-yard dash in 4.69 and 4.68 seconds. He had a 29-inch vertical jump. He also performed 16 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. Hilliard has quick feet for his size and did a good job catching the ball out of the back.

Defensive end Danielle Hunter (6-5 1/4, 251) had a 36 1/2-inch vertical jump and 10-foot-10 broad jump. He did the 20-yard short shuttle in 4.47 seconds and the three-cone drill in 6.95 seconds, which is really fast and shows his tremendous change-of-direction abilities. Hunter ran a 4.57 40 at the NFL Scouting Combine, which was the best time among defensive linemen.
» Steelers’ Tomlin dines with Hunter, Jalen Collins

Hunter blew the scouts on hand out of the water with his workout. He started slowly in the pass-drop drills, but ended up having a very good performance. He caught the ball well when dropping into space, and also did a good job in the pass-rush drills. Hunter is described as having great upside. One of the scouts at LSU’s pro day said that in his mind Hunter is a better prospect than Barkevious Mingo — the No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns — was two years ago.

Running back Terrence Magee (5-8 3/4, 210) ran the 40 in 4.65 and 4.66 seconds. He had a good workout, catching the ball well coming out of the backfield.

Outside linebacker Jermaurie Rasco (6-3, 247) ran the 40 in 4.75 and 4.79 seconds. He had a 28 1/2-inch vertical jump and 9-foot broad jump. He did the short shuttle in 4.65 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.11 seconds. He performed 12 strength lifts, but has a shoulder problem so unable to perform better on the bench press. Rasco was better going forward with his hand in the ground than in space in linebacker drills. Pass-rushing defensive end might be his best position moving forward.

Strong safety Ronald Martin (6-0 1/2, 200) ran the 40 in 4.64 and 4.63 seconds. He had a 33 1/2-inch vertical jump and 10-foot-1 broad jump. Martin — a former wide receiver — caught the ball well in drills. Martin — who has lost about 10 pounds since the end of the 2014 season — is a priority free-agent possibility for a team following the conclusion of the 2015 NFL Draft.

Follow Gil Brandt on Twitter @Gil_Brandt.

Agamemnon

[InvaderRam]

short arms dupree has…

ha

[Author]

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