Rams make waiver claim of LB Justin Hollins. Rooster at 53.

Agamemnon wrote:

We’ve claimed LB Justin Hollins off waivers.

He;s a Fangio/Staley guy.

The Denver Broncos select Oregon linebacker Justin Hollins No. 156 in Round 5 of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Notice the draft year, 2019. That means Staley coached him in Denver last year.

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from: https://www.milehighreport.com/2019/3/29/18284975/nfl-draft-profile-justin-hollins

Scouting Report

-Sudden. He’s an explosive athlete with good lateral mobility.

-Slippery.

-Will threaten to tackles off the snap.

-Looks comfortable with pass drops. You can sleep easy if he’s in space.

-There are better prospects at bending the edge.

-Hands could get better. Will need to develop more rush moves.

-Needs to get stronger.

What I’ve heard/read

NFL Draft & Combine Profile – Justin Hollins | NFL.com
Three-year starter with athletic ability and length teams look for from edge talent. Hollins has shown consistent growth as a prospect and flashes every-down potential at times, but his lack of consistent aggression and force could be a limiting factor. He should find special teams reps early on, but his future might very well be defined by his team’s ability to develop and unlock his capacity as a disruptive pass rusher.

Justin Hollins EDGE Oregon – Draft Player Profile | The Draft Network
Justin Hollins brings impressive athletic ability to the edge and as he continues to build some additional power and strength into his hands, he should be more effective to create favorable angles for himself. Hollins flashes short area quickness to disrupt gaps up front, but he’s not quite keen on finishing just yet. Hollins needs to create more separation for himself in his efforts to be balanced as he challenges opposing QBs and ball carriers. Promising upside in space. Round Grade – Fourth Round

NFL scout and a draft expert evaluate Oregon Ducks LB Justin Hollins
Rob Rang (@RobRang) says: ”Hollins to me is the one that I think is going to be the first Oregon Duck drafted. I did not expect to say that half way through the season, even toward the end of the season…But when he went to that East-West Shrine Game and was asked to play more of a traditional stand up linebacker role, and his athletic ability really caught the attention of some of the people there. He’s 6-6, 250 and watch, he is going to end up running in the 4.5s. He can fly…There’s a perception that he still has untapped potential. I have some reservations that he could be a bit of a tweener. He’s not big enough to play defensive end and not quite agile enough to play linebacker. But he is going to workout so well, that somebody is going to convince themselves that they can make him into a linebacker.”

12 draft prospects who need to stand out at the scouting combine | Touchdown Wire | Page 2
Of all the defensive linemen and linebackers in this draft class—and it’s the deepest defensive line class in recent memory—Hollins may be the most freakish athlete. At 6’5” and 245 pounds, Hollins has the athleticism to do everything from rushing the passer from the edge to covering receivers in the slot. Athletically, he brings former 49ers and Seahawks linebacker Julian Peterson to mind. Hollins doesn’t always bring that athleticism to the field in ways you’d want—he especially needs more and better moves as a pass-rusher—but if you’re looking for one guy to blow up the drills at his position, Hollins would be a good one to bet on.

Final thoughts
Hollins isn’t a finished product, not by any means. I doubt he’ll be the guy to threaten a rookie sack record. But he’s one of the more freakish athletes in this extremely loaded defensive line group and a guy that could blossom into an elite role player with Fangio guiding the way.

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from https://thedraftnetwork.com/player/justin-hollins

JUSTIN HOLLINS
EDGE, Oregon

Run Defense – Free flower in space and features good pursuit speed. With that said, his ability to stack and shed blocks on the move is inconsistent. Doesn’t have the mass and lower body power to anchor and set firm edges.

Pass Rush – Has an appealing blend of burst, length, flexibility and some hand usage to rush the passer. Excellent burst releasing out of his stance and carries good speed up and around the arc. Does well to diminish his surface area and challenge blockers to get their hands on him.

Burst – Fluid and explosive out of both a standup and three point stance. No false steps and easily eats up turf with his long strides. Smooth mover in every direction when tasked with defending space.

Effort – Gives good effort on every snap. Keeps battling to get off blocks and his pursuit urgency is sound. Wouldn’t label him an unrelenting defender but he doesn’t ever pack it in.

Hand Technique – Does well to take advantage of his length and keep blockers away from his frame. Could be more effective timing and getting to his pass rush counters. Does he have the pop in his punch to stun blockers in space?

Flexibility – Like how twitchy his upper body is. Does well to diminish his surface area and dip his inside shoulder. Rushes with good tilt through angles. Has easy change of direction skills and smooth transitions in space.

Processing – Block IDing skills is adequate. Does a decent job of reading the set of blockers and attacking the pocket. Can be a tick late recognizing routes in his zone coverage drops

Play Strength – Doesn’t get bullied but he’s more finesse than power. Doesn’t project favorably to squeezing gaps or setting the edge. Contact balance doesn’t impress. More of a gap slasher than plugger.

Versatility – Has been used in a variety of ways but his fit in the NFL comes as a 3-4 outside linebacker. Has some upside in space and he has room to grow as a pass rusher.

BEST TRAIT – Versatility

WORST TRAIT – Play Strength

RED FLAGS – None

Oregon deployed Hollins in a variety of ways and that versatility makes him and appealing NFL defender. While his bread and butter and career trajectory will be defined by the impact he makes as a pass rusher, Hollins has plenty of appeal in space and in an attacking role as a 3-4 outside linebacker. As a pass rusher, Hollins’ blend of burst, length, fluidity and hand technique gives him an exciting ceiling. Development is needed in terms of functional strength, processing and zone coverage awareness. Hollins projects as a sub package contributor initially but he can command a bigger role on defense with more development.

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hmmm. wonder what they have planned for this hollins fella…

zn wrote:

DOWNTOWN RAMS [DTR]@DowntownRams
From the #Broncos official site. Vic Fangio on cutting #Rams LB Justin Hollins yesterday:

“He’s a good football player, and if he doesn’t get claimed today, he’s a guy we’ll have interest in”

i don’t know anything about him as a football player, but physically he is intriguing.

and they still got to sign williams, hoecht, and rozeboom to the practice squad. well done.

don’t know why he got cut. that’s my only concern. were the broncos that deep at linebacker and edge?

if staley and barry and shula can help hollins realize his potential then i think they got a steal. at best he seems to be a versatile guy who can play inside and outside. which would be exactly what this defense is missing.

they seem to have everything else.

but i have to wonder why the broncos cut him. is it that he’s still too raw? that won’t help the rams defense this year. his impact will have to be on special teams. and hopefully, he continues to learn throughout the year.

is staley really that much smarter than fangio and co? i hope so.