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2016 Senior Bowl Rumor Mill
This is Charlie Campbell’s Wednesday 2016 Senior Bowl Rumor Mill. Charlie is reporting live from Mobile, Ala., and he’ll describe what he sees at practice and whom certain prospects talk to all week.
If you want to see other 2016 Senior Bowl Reports, click the link.
Follow me @walterfootball for updates, and stay tuned all week for tons of 2016 Senior Bowl coverage.
2016 Senior Bowl: Thursday Rumor Mill
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell
With all the general managers, coaches and scouts in attendance for the Senior Bowl, there is a lot of chatter going around. Here are some of the highlights from the rumor mill on Day 4.
Sources say that Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa is in play for the San Diego Chargers at the third-overall pick. Bosa isn’t a great fit in a 3-4 defense, but the Chargers feel he is a versatile player whom they could move around. San Diego could move him around as a five-technique defensive end and a standup rush linebacker. Young edge rushers Melvin Ingram and Jeremiah Attaochu played well in 2015, and the team is excited about their development, but adding a third pass-rusher and tough run-defender could appeal to San Diego as they need to improve their defense next season.
Obviously, the Rams are in search of a solution to the quarterback position this offseason and have other needs to address like wide receiver. Another potential hole to fill will be cornerback if Janoris Jenkins and/or Trumaine Johnson aren’t re-signed. Jenkins will see a lot of interest from other teams, so retaining Jenkins isn’t a slam-dunk for Los Angeles. The Rams will have E.J. Gaines coming back from an injury that cost him 2015, but if they lose both free agent cornerbacks that could put the position in play for their first-round pick. In speaking with Rams sources, they have a higher grade and preference for Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves over Florida State’s Jalen Ramsey.
A cornerback whom some sources really like is Northern Iowa’s Deondre’ Hall. Scouts say they love his length and toughness. Hall is a physical corner who doesn’t shy away from flying into the tackle box to make tackles. Every year, some small-school corners rise in the lead up to the draft to be second-day picks. Hall could be a prime candidate for that this year.
Colorado State wide receiver Rashard Higgins was one of the early entry players who probably should have gone back to school. Sources really like his route-running, reliable hands, and quickness to get open. Plus, Higgins was very productive the past two seasons. However, Higgins is very thin and sources say that is going to hurt his draft grade. If Higgins were thicker and heavier, he could be a second-round pick. Sources say that Higgins is probably more likely to go in the 3-5 range.
Two players who have not done well in the team interviews are Eastern Kentucky’s Noah Spence and Southern Utah’s Miles Killebrew. Spence had off-the-field issues at Ohio State and Eastern Kentucky with a year long suspension, transfer, and arrest for public intoxication. Teams weren’t impressed with how Spence answered their questions. They also said that Killebrew did not come off well in the interviews. Both players will need to get better in a hurry with the Combine and pre-draft visits just weeks away.
On Monday, we talked about how some teams were very critical about how Penn State head coach James Franklin handled quarterback Christian Hackenberg. Over the past few months, there have been media reports questioning Hackenberg as a teammate and suggesting he was disliked in the Penn State locker room. A few weeks back, we caught up with a former teammate, Tampa Bay Buccaneers left tackle Donovan Smith. Smith who disputed those claims. This week, I spoke with Carl Nassib and asked him about the reports that Hackenberg was a bad teammate and disliked in the locker room. Nassib was stunned and his jaw hit he floor. He couldn’t believe it. “Interesting, I had not heard that. Really?” said Nassib. “That is false. No. That is definitely speculation. Christian is a great player and a great teammate.” Nassib is known as a high-character hard worker who was beloved by Franklin and former head coach Bill O’Brien. Thus, when Nassib responds in that fashion it carries some weight.
Everybody around the league expects the Denver Broncos to use the franchise tag on linebacker Von Miller, but if he somehow hits free agency, expect the Jaguars to make a big play for Miller. Jacksonville has a ton of money available and they badly need a difference-maker on the defensive side of the ball. If Miller isn’t slapped with the tag, the Jaguars are willing to overpay to get him to come to Jacksonville.
Read more at http://walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2016rumors4.php#wp1LBEBL557tfXrQ.99
Agamemnon2016 Senior Bowl Rumor Mill
This is Charlie Campbell’s Wednesday 2016 Senior Bowl Rumor Mill. Charlie is reporting live from Mobile, Ala., and he’ll describe what he sees at practice and whom certain prospects talk to all week.
If you want to see other 2016 Senior Bowl Reports, click the link.
Follow me @walterfootball for updates, and stay tuned all week for tons of 2016 Senior Bowl coverage.
2016 Senior Bowl: Wednesday Rumor Mill
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell
With all the general managers, coaches and scouts in attendance for the Senior Bowl, there is a lot of chatter going around. Here are some of the highlights from the rumor mill on Day 3.
Sources told me that at the East-West Shrine, Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan met with every quarterback for an hour. At the Senior Bowl, Maccagnan has continued his quarterback scrutiny, as he had a formal meeting with North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz. Clearly, New York isn’t banking on Bryce Petty being the starter of the future and they are doing their homework on the other signal-callers.
The Jets also have scouting hard the edge-rushers. Sources say they had a formal meeting planned with Virginia Tech outside linebacker Dadi Nicolas on Tuesday night. A pass-rusher coming off the edge has been a need for the Jets after Quinton Coples didn’t pan out. New York also had a formal meeting with Louisiana Tech defensive tackle Vernon Butler. It is hard seeing them use another first-round pick on that position, but perhaps it could be in play if Muhammad Wilkerson leaves and Sheldon Richardson faces further discipline in the form of suspensions.
Sources say the Tampa Bay Buccaneers love Florida State cornerback/safety Jalen Ramsey. They view him as a play-making defensive back who could be a tremendous cornerback or safety in the NFL. They feel he is an Alpha Dog defender and would be ecstatic to land him in the 2016 NFL Draft. While the Bucs love Ramsey, they don’t expect him to get to their pick at No. 9 overall. With other needs to address on the roster, it sounds unlikely that Tampa Bay would trade up for Ramsey. Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III is getting some consideration from Tampa Bay, but in speaking with sources, the Buccaneers sound lukewarm on Hargreaves.
In speaking with sources, the Lions love Vernon Butler. They’ve shown a ton of interest in him and it makes perfect sense as Detroit needs to bolster the interior of their defensive line. If Butler continues to have a strong week here in Mobile, he could be firmly in play for the Lions’ first-round pick.
The Bears are interested Houston cornerback William Jackson, but unfortunately for Chicago, Jackson was unable to participate in the Senior Bowl because of an injury. Chicago is in the market for cornerback help, and Jackson is coming off a huge senior year. Perhaps the Bears will target Jackson on Day 2.
In speaking with sources, the Texans plan on being active in free agency. Last year wide receivers Nate Washington and Cecil Shorts signed one-year contracts, so replacing them with some speed complements for DeAndre Hopkins could be one direction they go. Other areas that Houston could definitely address would be a veteran quarterback, running back, tight end, and offensive line help. Really all positions on the offense are potential options for the Texans looking to improve.
One team that hasn’t been discussed being in the quarterback market is the San Diego Chargers. They signed Philip Rivers to an extension, and with the regime on the hot seat, nobody has projecting San Diego to take a quarterback. However, Rivers is 34 and they could get a nice draft pick for the veteran. Sources with the Chargers say the team loves North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz. If the Chargers have a shot at Wentz, San Diego will have to consider taking Rivers heir apparent and seeing what they can get for Rivers. Although Rivers contract could make trading him difficult.
Read more at http://walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2016rumors3.php#cktV7ibmi32Kp7VE.99
Agamemnon2016 Senior Bowl Rumor Mill
This is Charlie Campbell’s Tuesday 2016 Senior Bowl Rumor Mill. Charlie is reporting live from Mobile, Ala., and he’ll describe what he sees at practice and whom certain prospects talk to all week.
If you want to see other 2016 Senior Bowl Reports, click the link.
Follow me @walterfootball for updates, and stay tuned all week for tons of 2016 Senior Bowl coverage.
2016 Senior Bowl: Tuesday Rumor Mill
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell
With all the general managers, coaches and scouts in attendance for the Senior Bowl, there is a lot of chatter going around. Here are some of the highlights from the rumor mill on Day 2.
Sources with a team picking in the top 10 say that the top four players on their draft board would be Ole Miss left tackle Laremy Tunsil, UCLA linebacker Myles Jack, Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith, and Florida State cornerback/safety Jalen Ramsey. That is how their board would stack up if Jack and Smith didn’t suffer their knee tears. Obviously, this team loves Ramsey. There have been multiple other teams that have told WalterFootball.com that they have a second-round grade on Ramsey. Thus, there is a huge debate on the Seminole product. Across the board, there is nothing but consensus love for Tunsil, Jack, and Smith.
Scouts say that Alabama defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson is a freak athlete with rare size and speed, but the knock on him is a lack of consistency. They say that if he had played consistently in college, he would be a candidate to go No. 1 overall to Tennessee. Robinson has a rare combination of strength, speed and athleticism. Teams feel that Robinson will be a three-down defender in his career and can contribute to the pass rush. After the Combine, don’t be surprised if Robinson becomes a hot prospect.
Some teams expect Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed to go in the top 20. They say he is a good athlete who is a solid defender. They love Reed’s run defense and feel some team will want him to be their nose tackle. Teams feel that Reed has quickness and speed to develop into a three-down player, but at least early on, if not throughout his career, he could be coming off the field in passing situations and be limited to a two-down defender role. Thus, they expect Robinson to go ahead of Reed.
It sounds like one prospect who made a mistake in entering the draft early was LSU Jerald Hawkins. Sources from multiple teams have said they’ve given Hawkins day-three grades. They say he has terrible leverage, gets fooled, has to get stronger, gets bull rushed, and is stiff. Teams really knocked Hawkins for a lack of strength. They don’t feel he is gifted enough to play left tackle in the NFL. They say that Hawkins has good length, and that his feet are his best attribute, so he is more of a developmental pick and backup. Multiple teams have grades on Hawkins ranging from the fourth to the sixth round.
Virginia cornerback Maurice Canady earned an invitation to the Senior Bowl, but sources say that they have major concerns about Canady in coverage. Canady (6-2, 195) has good size and length for the press-man systems that are en vogue with a number of teams in the NFL. However, sources say that Canady gives up too much separation and they’re grading him on the third day of the draft. Canady needs a big week in Mobile to get second-day consideration.
In speaking with scouts at the weigh-in, no player stood out for bad reasons as being very out of shape or over weight. One player who did trim down before the Senior Bowl was LSU guard/tackle Vadal Alexander. During the fall when scouts went through LSU, they said that Alexander was heavier. This morning he checked in at 6-foot-5, 336 pounds. Sources from multiple teams had weight concerns with Alexander, so it will be important for him to continue to lose weight and at least maintain this weight throughout the pre-draft workouts.
Many free agent running backs who are 30-plus years old with frequent injuries in their career have a hard time finding a team to sign them, but one potential exception this offseason is Bears running back Matt Forte. In speaking with a few teams, they feel that Forte could be a good role player as a receiving back and part-time runner to pair with a first- and second-down back. Forte won’t get a big contract, but he should have a few teams interested in signing him.
Read more at http://walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2016rumors2.php#0tfLVTJf9dxJzrVe.99
Agamemnon2016 Senior Bowl: Monday Rumor Mill
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell
With all the general managers, coaches and scouts in attendance for the Senior Bowl, there is a lot of chatter going around. Here are some of the highlights from the rumor mill on Day 1.
One area scout of a team picking in the top 10 that doesn’t need a quarterback was gushing over North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz. The team has given him a first-round grade and thinks that Wentz is the real deal. They say that Wentz has a good arm, size and athleticism, and they love him off the field. They like his pocket presence, field vision, experience under center, making play calls in the huddle, and potential to grow in the NFL. The scout said that he will fill out his frame in a NFL strength and conditioning program. That area scout said the big challenge for Wentz will be the drastic change in the speed of the game coming from North Dakota State’s opponents compared to the NFL. This week at the Senior Bowl could vault Wentz high in the first round.
How high? Extremely high. In speaking with sources at the Browns, Wentz is definitely in play with Cleveland. He’s viewed as a first-rounder despite a small sample size of starts in college. Sources say the Browns really like Wentz. There are some who believe that Wentz is the best quarterback prospect and they say the only reason why Wentz isn’t the consensus No. 1 quarterback is the helmet he wears (i.e. coming from a small school). Assuming the Browns move on from Johnny Manziel and draft a quarterback, it sounds like they are focused on Wentz or Cal quarterback Jared Goff. Both are rated ahead of Memphis’ Paxton Lynch, and Wentz could be the early lean.
Sources from one team picking high in the first round that is in the market for defensive back with their top selection said that Ohio State cornerback Eli Apple is behind Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves and Florida State’s Jalen Ramsey. Those evaluators say that Apple has a lot of talent with size and speed, but happens to be very raw. They say he is very “handsy” with receivers downfield and is always grabbing at them while they run their routes. They feel that until Apple is developed and coached up, he is going to get flagged a lot. It is understandable that Apple is a work in progress considering he is only a redshirt sophomore. Now, all that being said, other teams could disagree, as we’ve documented that there are some wide ranges in the draft grade of Ramsey.
Sources with multiple teams told WalterFootball.com that Florida’s Keanu Neal could be in the running to be the first safety selected, if you count Florida State’s Jalen Ramsey as a cornerback. Neal has impressed teams with his combination of size and speed. A team picking high in the second round that could consider a safety said that there is the possibility that Neal could go in the late first. They believe he is going to be a Combine standout who could become a hot prospect. Teams also really like Neal off the field.
Team sources say that it is wide open to figure out who is the top safety prospect. West Virginia’s Karl Joseph is really liked by teams, but he’s coming off a season-ending injury. Thus, Neal could be the first true safety drafted.
Sources with multiple teams have been extremely critical of Penn State head coach James Franklin and his handling of quarterback Christian Hackeneberg. Just to be clear, none of these sources are with the Houston Texans. They say that Franklin was a terrible coach for Hackenberg. These sources have known Franklin for years and feel he is responsible for a lot of the problems with Hackenberg. Franklin tore down Hackenberg and hurt his confidence. They say that Franklin is a rah-rah type of coach who showed a lot of favoritism toward the players he brought to Penn State over the players he inherited from Bill O’Brien and Joe Paterno. On top of Franklin’s poor handling, Hackenberg was sacked 103 times in his 38 collegiate games with the vast majority of those sacks coming in the two seasons with Franklin. The offensive line was pathetic, but teams feel that Franklin set up Hackenberg for some failure because he tried to fit a square peg into a round hole from a scheme perspective. They feel a good coach would have adapted their scheme to Hackenberg and the other pro-style players O’Brien cultivated. They say that Franklin never embraced Hackenbarg as his guy to lead the program.
The sources from these teams already have franchise quarterbacks and were just calling it like they see it. They believe that Hackenberg could get selected on Day 2. Some around the believe still think that Hackenberg could go late in the first round because there are so many teams that are utterly desperate to land a franchise quarterback.
One quarterback who made a huge mistake in not taking part in the Senior Bowl was Michigan State’s Connor Cook. Teams have really soured on Cook, on the field and off of it. At the East-West Shrine, I caught up with Michigan State linebacker Darien Harris and asked him about Cook not being voted a team captain.
“He was a captain whether he had the title or not,” said Harris. “He was a leader on the team. I love him like a brother as does the rest of the team and the coaching staff. We wouldn’t have been as successful as we were without Connor Cook under center.”
I also asked Harris if there was any truth to the talk that Cook was a bad teammate and disliked in the locker room.
“Not at all. I don’t buy any of that. I feel like as he is my brother and he is family to me, I feel like it is my obligation to try and kill some of that noise. Hopefully I’ve been able to do that by getting people to understand that inside that locker room we loved him. He was the best quarterback in the country. No doubt about it.”
Read more at http://walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2016rumors.php#VOZ4tmRe0OH3mF5i.99
AgamemnonWell Rivers has a no-trade clause, and I kinda doubt
he agree to go to Cleveland, though who knows.No, I’d rather have three years of Rivers
than a decade of Wentz. With Rivers i think the
Rams are immediately a super-bowl-threat.w
vI guess GRITS will have to settle this. 😉
AgamemnonThat sounds like they are talking about Cleveland, not the Rams. imo
It looks like Favre vs Rogers. Wouldn’t we rather have Wentz?
AgamemnonI think they cut/trade Foles no matter what. It would be nice to have an extra 5 or 6 million dollars to spend, but that isn’t going to be the difference maker. imo
AgamemnonIf they sign all their FAs, stay healthy, and draft an all pro LB, then they can be elite. Otherwise they need the offense to score more points. imo
AgamemnonBoehm has heavy hands and is great moving forward. He’s the only one to “stick” Jarran Reed.
Boehm, I was hoping he would drop to the 6th round.
AgamemnonWhat do the Rams try to draft?
And dont be tryin to use any
Cascading Multigrid-iron Fiedler Algorithms,
to answer thatw
vA QB, whatever flavor you like, Wentz, Cook, Hackenberg. The Pats probably draft Hackenber. Since the Rams were going to draft Cook last year at 10, according to Randy K., why wouldn’t they draft him this year? Besides everyone likes Wentz and Prescott is the new midget, only bigger. 😉
You can draft whatever you like is this draft. Go defense if you like. It is unusual due to the fact that almost any team can match almost any need and the Rams have enough depth to go in a number of different directions, if they like Keenum and Mannion enough. imo
Me? I am drafting a QB and a couple WRs and TEs, but it isn’t a big deal if the Rams do something else. We will get 5 or 6 good players no matter what.
Agamemnon
They use it in quantum theory.
in quantum mechanics, you can only measure the stable state of a system, which is defined to be the eigen state of some operator. For example, p=−ih2π∇. Hence eigen vectors and eigen values play a fundamental role in quantum mechanics
The Rams should make all their linemen learn algebra. 😉
AgamemnonThe idea of ‘value’ being that you can sign Tru
and then have more money left over to do
other things you need to do?w
vRight, I get to use that money more efficiently. That makes the rest of the FAs easier. I will probably get a 3rd round comp pick if I don’t sign an expensive outside FA.
I would rather have a cheaper player with a better chance to play to his contract, than a player that might find it hard to play up to his contract.
AgamemnonI’m still wonderin why Fisher got rid of Jeff Garcia.
Fisher kinda raved about Garcia,
and found a spot for him, and then dumps him
after one year. Wonder why?w
vDidn’t Garcia say something about being QB? Maybe they are going to give him a try out?
AgamemnonPassing game cant get any worse,
right?Thats all i got.
w
vChris Givens said “we haven’t been able to do what they brought me here for”
Maybe the Ravens will cut Givens?
On February 17, 2015, Avery was released by the Chiefs.
Gibson is on IR with the cheaters.
AgamemnonCheck your TV guides for times.
You going to watch the practices Ag?
I will put them on dvr and watch some of them.
AgamemnonESPN set to televise practices
Tue, Jan 19, 2016
MOBILE, Ala. (Jan. 19) — For the first time in a decade, ESPN will televise Reese’s Senior Bowl practices. The network will broadcast both the North and South practices live from Ladd-Peebles Stadium on Wednesday and Thursday on ESPNU.
Chris Cotter will host the network’s two-hour shows and will be joined by analysts Bill Polian, Louis Riddick and Todd McShay. Quint Kessenich will provide sideline coverage for ESPN’s eight hours of live programming.
“As an organization, we are so pleased to have ESPN and ESPNU on board with us this year,” Savage said. “With wall-to-wall coverage on ESPNU, the Reese’s Senior Bowl will expand its media footprint to a wider audience and provide even more national exposure to our players.”
The network also plans to provide live reports during its flagship show, ‘SportsCenter,’ as well as its NFL-featured shows, ‘NFL Insiders’ and ‘NFL Live.’ ESPN last televised practices at the Reese’s Senior Bowl in 2006.
NFL Network will also broadcast from Reese’s Senior Bowl practices and will air its coverage in three one-hour primetime shows on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
It will also broadcast the game live for the 10th consecutive year.
The 67th Reese’s Senior Bowl is scheduled for January 30 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile. Kickoff is at 1:30p.m.
http://www.seniorbowl.com/news-highlights-detail.php?news=451
Check your TV guides for times.
AgamemnonJoe Marino’s Most Intriguing 2016 Senior Bowl Players To Watch
Written by Joe Marino on January 22, 2016
I am making my first ever trip to Mobile for the 2016 Senior Bowl and I could not be more excited. Here are the players I am most “intrigued” to see in person.
QB – Carson Wentz, North Dakota State: There is no other player entering Senior Bowl week that has more buzz and hype around him as much as Wentz. It’s obvious from film study that Wentz has all the tools and physical talent to become a starting NFL QB and potential high draft pick. How he stacks up against the best senior players in all of college football will be important for him considering his dominance was against FCS opponents.
RB – Aaron Green, TCU: Green is fun to watch on tape. With tremendous burst, breakaway speed and ability to makeTCU RB Aaron Green precise cuts, Green has game breaking potential. That said, his physicality, vision and ability to pass block were issues this season. Green has ability but has a lot to prove.
WR – Leonte Carroo, Rutgers: Carroo is a gifted football player with the ability to stretch the field and get behind secondaries. He tracks the football well and adjusts his body to the ball in the air. My top concerns with Carroo are his release and ability to gain body positioning on short routes. Mobile will be a tremendous opportunity to show growth in those areas.
OT – Jason Spriggs, Indiana: Spriggs has the upside of a quality NFL starter on the left side. He has tremendous upside as a pass blocker with his excellent footwork, timing in his punch, length, bend and overall quickness. He has plenty of pop in his hands and power in his legs to move people as a run blocker. Has shown the ability to win in space, also. What worries me about Spriggs is over-committing to the outside rush and getting beat inside. He can also be too patient with his hands. If Spriggs delivers in Mobile I can see him drafted in the first round.
OG – Joshua Garnett, Stanford: Garnett is an absolute mauler in the run game that dominates as a drive blocker and in space. There is no doubt who you run behind when you need a yard in short yardage situations. He will need to improve his footwork when facing quicker, twitchier defensive lineman but Garnett is a day one starter in a power scheme. He will be exciting to watch in one-on-one’s.
C – Nick Martin, Notre Dame: My colleague Kyle Crabb’s recently tweeted out that Martin is criminally underrated and I agree. He won’t be after Senior Bowl week. Martin absorbs contact well and has a solid anchor. He is adept at picking up blocks in space and shows good timing in executing combo blocks on when to scrape to 2nd level. Martin plays with an aggressive play demeanor and has a mean streak. Look for him to be an ascending prospect.
Edge – Noah Spence, Eastern Kentucky: Spence has the makeup of an impactful NFL edge defender. It’s easy to identify his pass rushing upside and ability to force run plays back inside when setting the edge. He’s a twitchy edge EKY Edge Noah Spencerusher who alters offensive game plans and plays with good burst and bend off the edge. Spence has an excellent rip and shoulder dip with good closing burst to pressure and finish the passer. He attacks half a man and plays with consistent effort. He separates from blocks with quickness and hand usage and can physically sets the edge and forces plays inside and keep outside leverage. Spence will be given the chance to meet with teams and explain his multiple suspensions and dismissal from Ohio State.
DT – Sheldon Rankins, Louisville: Rankins is a pure 3 technique with pass rushing upside that challenges with hands and has good power. He moves well laterally to get down the line and impact run plays and uses his length to keep separation from blockers. Rankins plays with good awareness/play recognition to read screenplays and come off rush to find target. He has a strong bull rush, arm over and rip to pressure passer. I don’t think he has the run stopping ability to be a majority of the snaps guy but he can get after the quarterback and has good physical tools.
LB – Joe Schobert, Wisconsin: Schobert shows some pass rush ability by timing stunts, flashing speed to power and showing a shoulder dip. At times can set the edge and force plays back inside. That said he is a really poor tackle and is not consistent setting the edge. He also lacks fluidity in pass drops and gets stuck on blocks. I saw a very mixed bag of skills on tape so seeing him in Mobile will be intriguing.
CB – Cyrus Jones, Alabama: Jones is a terrific athlete with fluid hips, excellent quickness and plenty of long speed. He is adept in both man and zone coverage with a strong ability to mirror and stay connected to his man. My knocks on Jones are that he struggles to get his head around and track the football. He will also rely on his athletic ability and can get sloppy with technique.
S – Jeremy Cash, Duke: Cash is a physical, in-the-box safety that will be useful in specific schemes with a creative defensive coordinator. Although he doesn’t win in traditional ways, he is part of a new breed of faux linebacker that can be valuable in today’s NFL. Seeing how NFL coaches use him in Mobile will be interesting.
http://draftbreakdown.com/joe-marinos-most-intriguing-2016-senior-bowl-players-to-watch/
AgamemnonRanking the 2016 Senior Bowl Wide Receivers
Written by Bryan Perez on January 21, 2016
doctsonThe 2016 Senior Bowl took a shot to the gut this week with the announcement that TCU wide receiver Josh Doctson was withdrawing from the game due to injury-related issues. Doctson was one of the big-ticket players I was looking forward to watching, but he’s making the right choice by sitting out of the game if he is not yet 100 percent healthy. He was replaced by a very interesting name and another receiver in the long line of Clemson playmakers, Charone Peake. Keep an eye on him. I have a hunch he’s a guy that ranks a bit higher within NFL circles than the ‘big media’ coverage would suggest.
More than any other position, the wide receivers in the Senior Bowl are limited by the level of quarterback play during the week of practices. Last year’s pass catchers were really hamstrung by the awful crop of passers, but players like Phillip Dorsett (Colts) and Jamison Crowder (Redskins) were still able to show off many appealing traits. Dorsett’s stock shot all the way into the first round.
The loss of Doctson takes away the one sure-fire first rounder from the group, but there are a cluster of second-day guys who should draw a lot of attention from scouts during the practices. The top two receivers in the game are Sterling Shepard (Oklahoma) and Leonte Carroo (Rutgers). They are very similar players, both from a physical standpoint and from the traits they display on tape. They’re twitchy playmakers who are as capable of going over the middle for a grown man’s catch as they are stretching the defense and flipping the field on one play. Carroo is unofficially listed at 6010, while Shepard is 5110; I imagine that 2″ gap will close a bit after the official weigh-in takes place. Shepard is a bit more flexible than Carroo and has better lateral movement skills which I think will help him separate from the Rutgers receiver during the practice sessions.
Ohio State’s Braxton Miller is sure to wow, as he’s arguably the best athlete on the offensive side of the ball that’s playing in this year’s game. He’s been compared to Randall Cobb (Packers) and has made the transition from quarterback to receiver look effortless. I’m going to watch his route running closely in order to better understand how far he is in his development at the position. It’s one thing to make plays against Saturday cornerbacks; it’s an entirely different breed of cat to ‘win’ vs. Sunday talent. The one-on-one practice reps should provide some good clues for how quickly he’ll be able to make an impact as a pro. There’s no doubt that he WILL make an impact as an eventual starting slot receiver. His draft value will be determined mostly by how quickly a team thinks that impact will occur.
The most intriguing receiver, and the guy that I’m the most excited to see now that Doctson is out, is Paul McRoberts from SE Missouri. He’s big, quick, fast and coordinated. He has a playmaking style that resembles Chad Johnson (before he became Ocho Cinco). He can stretch the field with his speed and out leap defenders for contested balls. McRoberts is making the jump from FCS play, a transition that tends to be a challenge for skill players. Winning with speed and athletic ability alone will no longer work in the NFL as it did versus ‘lesser’ competition; he has to prove that his talent on tape is not a mirage.
A player who once looked like he was on the path for early round consideration is Malcolm Mitchell (Georgia). Injuries have stunted his development and littered his pro evaluation with red flags, but his talent and natural traits have maintained their appeal. While I don’t think he goes anywhere before the middle of day three, Mitchell is a guy who can re-emerge as a viable option for teams willing to take risky players with extremely high upside. Guys like that generally don’t enter the top-100, but a big week for Mitchell could change that.
One of my favorite in-season players who I’ve cooled on after more intense film study is Michigan State’s Aaron Burbridge. At one point in October, I had elevated Burbridge all the way to my top senior pass catcher. However, after I’ve watched his film with a more focused approach, he’s lost some of his appeal. My biggest question about Burbridge is in his athleticism. There’s no denying that he had an extremely productive season and proved he was capable of being the Spartans’ go-to-guy. But his hands aren’t as natural as I’d like to see, despite the fact that he flashed tremendous body control and a knack to pull in the back shoulder throw with consistency. I want to see how he matches up athletically versus his peers. He’s an “incomplete” for me right now.
Guys like Chris Moore (Cincinnati), K.J. Maye (Minnesota), Kolby Listenbee (TCU) and Jordan Patyon (UCLA) are day three talents who will need to have a good week to maintain that grade. Some of these guys will end up falling out of the draft; they’ll be jockeying for draft pick bragging rights.
Here’s how I have this group ranked as we inch closer to Mobile:
1 – Sterling Shepard | Oklahoma
2 – Leonte Carroo | Rutgers
3 – Paul McRoberts | SE Missouri
4 – Braxton Miller | Ohio State
5 – Aaron Burbridge | Michigan State
6 – Charone Peake | Clemson
7 – Malcolm Mitchell | Georgia
8 – K.J. Maye | Minnesota
9 – Kolby Listenbee | TCU
10 – Chris Moore | Cincinnati
11 – Jordan Payton | UCLA
http://draftbreakdown.com/ranking-the-2016-senior-bowl-wide-receivers/
AgamemnonThe Rams might have taken Cook last year at 10, according to Randy K. I put Mannion as equal to those guys, but that is just me.
AgamemnonThese are probably the two best WRs in this class, although not up to other years. imo
Their 40 time at the combine will affect where they go in the draft. (like Jones and Austin for example) imo
Agamemnon
http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/stl/st-louis-rams
This is stuff from: ESPN LA 710. Use the links to find your way around and listen stuff and look at stuff. http://espn.go.com/espnradio/podcast/index
Agamemnon
