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April 23, 2016 at 10:51 am in reply to: Later-round gems can be found at receiver, even in 'down' years #42462znModeratorWhat are the percentages on getting a receiver in rounds 4-7? (I know they don’t have a 7th but they’re fair game with their 2 6th rounders.)
Remembering of course that this draft is deeper than most, they say, just not as star-studded at the top.
I did a decade, ending in 2013. So 2004-13.
Out of 184 drafted, I counted 2 tiers: very good to good to fairly decent hits, and then serviceable, active “okay” guys (like Brandon Gibson).
TIER ONE: Marshall, Colston, Brown, Cotchery, Garcon, Edelman, Buffalo’s Steven Johnson (who was good for a couple of years there), Hartline, Avant, Breaston, Mike Williams (Tampa)…so that’s 12.
TIER TWO: I count around 17 guys.
Percentages…
Tier 1: 6.5%
Tier 2: 9.2%
Total: 15.7%Going back to 1967 Rams have hit on 3 receivers in rounds 4 and below: Harold Jackson, Hakim, and Drew Hill.
znModeratorFree personality test
Well, the results were, I got a big winking smiley face on the screen with the caption “well no wonder you’re a Rams fan.”
Not sure what it means.
.
znModeratorNFL adversity won’t deter Jared Goff who dealt with plenty at Cal
BERKELEY, Calif. — The college resume of the probable top pick of the upcoming NFL draft includes throwing two interceptions returned for touchdowns in his first college game; enduring a one-win freshman season; and getting sacked 84 times in three years.
For all of the attention focused on Jared Goff’s skill set — his sound footwork and pre-snap reads, his quick release and ability to move defenders with his eyes or head — those who played with and coached the quarterback at California say his most impressive attribute can be gleaned by his reaction to those setbacks.
“He has been to hell and back,” Cal quarterback Chase Forrest, a close friend of Goff’s, told USA TODAY Sports. “That builds character.”
A 6-4, 215-pound native of Novato, Calif., Goff encountered significant on-field adversity in college, even as he amassed 26 school records at the same program that produced Aaron Rodgers. As one of the top two draft-eligible quarterbacks, along with North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz, the resilience that Goff demonstrated could prove beneficial considering the uneven nature of NFL seasons — something that has been a recent hallmark of the Los Angeles Rams, the team expected to pick Goff first overall next Thursday night to start the draft.
In playing an integral role in helping the Golden Bears go from one win in 2013 to eight last year, Goff said at the NFL scouting combine in February that he “learned you kind of have to start from the ground up. It starts with hard work, hard work in the offseason, and no shortcuts.
“We had to start from the floor and build everything back up.”
It started in early December 2012, when newly hired Cal coach Sonny Dykes watched film of all the prospects who had committed to playing for Jeff Tedford, the previous head coach. Dykes was not wowed by Goff’s tape, calling the then-gangly 185-pounder a “solid” prospect.
It wasn’t until Tony Franklin, Cal’s offensive coordinator at the time, traveled to watch Goff’s Marin Catholic High team compete in a playoff game staged in southern California when that assessment changed. Franklin watched him on the sideline. He watched him between plays. He watched how he handled a superior team dominating his team for a stretch.
“Tony then said he has chance to be something special,” Dykes recalled.
The first Cal true freshman quarterback to start the season opener, Goff’s debut included throwing three interceptions, including that pair of deflected passes returned for touchdowns, in a 44-30 loss to Northwestern.
“You throw two pick-sixes in your opening game? For a lot of guys, you are destroyed,” Franklin, who now is offensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee State, told USA TODAY Sports. “It didn’t bother him one bit. He had this thing about him, ‘OK, let’s go. Next play.’ Most guys don’t have that.”
What also impressed Dykes was the grit Goff displayed two weeks later as he kept getting pummeled yet kept throwing throughout a 52-34 defeat to Ohio State.
“He got hit a bunch — physically beat up,” Dykes told USA TODAY Sports about Goff’s entire freshman season. “He weathered all those storms just fine. Never had his head down. Never came in and said, ‘I’m getting hit too much, what the hell is going on?’ ”
Goff says he is especially grateful for enduring the inaugural 1-11 season, explaining that it “toughened” him and forced him to grow up, mature and become the leader of the team as a sophomore.
He continued to improve incrementally — most notably his anticipation and a quicker release — but adversity continued. In a one-point victory against Texas this past season, Goff suffered a high ankle sprain that Franklin says lingered for a month. And yet he refused to sit out drills in practice, Franklin said, and would not make excuses. (Even recently, Goff suggested the injury was not a big deal, and that he was “good” within two weeks).
“He could barely move, could barely walk during the week,” Franklin said. “You could tell he was grimacing in pain when we’d do our Peyton Manning footwork drill. He never missed a rep. He competed his ass off, and then on Saturdays found a way to go out, suck it up, limp back in the pocket, find a throwing lane and make plays.”
Franklin used to talk to Goff about his experiences on the Kentucky staff a generation ago coaching quarterback Tim Couch, who became the top overall pick in the 1999 draft of the Cleveland Browns. What helped distinguish Couch, Franklin told Goff, was how he handled erratic performances, like when he threw four interceptions against Indiana in 1998 but still managed to lead the Wildcats to victory.
Goff had an opportunity to live out a similar script last year. After he threw the fourth of five interceptions in a highly anticipated game at Utah on Oct. 10, Goff looked at Franklin and said, “Well, I guess I’m Couch.”
“I don’t know,” Franklin answered tongue-in-cheek. “Couch came back and won.”
Goff laughed.
After Cal’s 30-24 loss, he didn’t sulk. He didn’t make excuses. By the time the team arrived back on campus, Goff had moved on.
And the quarterback’s performance — he says probably the worst of his life — did nothing to diminish the opinion of Utes coach Kyle Whittingham, who told USA TODAY Sports that Goff is “the prototype quarterback. He has the whole package.”
Goff says he used that performance as an opportunity to “show I had some resiliency.” There is little doubt that on-field struggles have often been a welcomed companion for Goff, revealing his leadership and perseverance.
To that point, Goff recalled during the combine the most interesting question he fielded from league personnel during this evaluation process, a hypothetical scenario that uniquely spoke to how he handled a three-year college ride with plenty of turbulence: “If you are riding on a bus speeding down a snowy mountain, and it suddenly loses its brakes, where would you prefer to be sitting?”
Most people, Goff said, would instinctively answer the back of the bus. But for a quarterback, he noted, the answer should be different because quarterbacks should strive to be the leader who helps steward everyone else through adversity.
How did Goff answer?
“I said the front.”
Of course he did.
znModeratorThe first round of the draft remains a total crapshoot
Mike Florio
The first round of the draft remains a total crapshoot
Next Thursday, 31 players will be drafted by the NFL teams that have first-round draft picks. We’ll hear a lot about all of the great things the 31 players picked did in college, and a lot about all the great things they’ll do in the NFL.
And then, starting in September, roughly half of them will never do anything noteworthy in the NFL.
During Friday’s PFT Live on NBC Sports Radio, I asked Falcons G.M. Thomas Dimitroff whether the success rate at picking quarterbacks at the top of the draft. Dimitroff offered a more general observation that underscores the uncertainty of the first round, at any position.
“That’s always an interesting discussion and we talk about it all the time,” Dimitroff said. “What’s funny is we talk about that with quarterbacks but then when we start looking at positions that we’re interested in. We can look at interior D-lineman over the years or [pass] rushers or whoever they may be, and we all want to come up with this stat that says, ‘Wow, this is an easy pick.’ It’s not an easy pick in the first round.”
It’s not easy because it remains, at best, a flip-of-the-coin proposition.
“According to our most recent statistics that we drew on the first round, it’s less than 60 percent of those players that are starting,” Dimitroff said. “I think it may have come in at 56 percent. So point being it’s not an exact science, we know that. There are so many other things that are involved in it. The first step is finding out whether that player has the adept skills on the field, of course. Many other areas that we’re looking into to make sure they’re fits in the organization. [Do] they have the mental capacity, they have the character capacity, and the team element that a team is looking for? Again, you’d better have a plan for the guys who are a little bit wayward in their approach. That’s alway been a big discussion point as well.”
Still, during the first round of the draft on Thursday night, it likely won’t be a discussion point that roughly one out of every two guys picked will never amount to anything in the NFL. It never is.
It’s not a surprise. The draft is about selling hope. And it’s hard to sell hope when reality gets in the way.
znModeratorFormer Cal Offensive Coordinator Dispels Myths Regarding QB Jared Goff
Brent Sobleski , NFL Analyst Feb 25, 2016
Former Cal Offensive Coordinator Dispels Myths Regarding QB Jared Goff
Incorrect narratives can completely warp the perception of an NFL draft prospect. Cal Golden Bears quarterback Jared Goff serves as this year’s primary example.
Over the course of the last two draft processes, the Minnesota Vikings’ Teddy Bridgewater and Tennessee Titans’ Marcus Mariota experienced this problem when multiple inane knocks surfaced regarding their respective games and personalities.
Who could forget Bridgewater’s skinny knees? Or the fact that Mariota “not having any red flags was a red flag,” according to one NFL head coach and general manager, via ESPN.com’s Brett McMurphy.
The predraft process is designed to discover a prospect’s problem areas before an organization invests millions into the league’s incoming talent. But the same process can go overboard and project things that aren’t present.
Nothing as outrageous as the circumference of a knee or how being so good is actually a bad thing has reared its ugly head regarding Goff (so far), but certain misnomers still exist regarding the general perception of his skill set even after there’s been enough time to fully digest his game.
The primary negative narrative surrounding Goff deals with the system in which he played and how it’s viewed as it pertains to translating to the next level.
Concerns regarding Goff extend beyond the Golden Bears’ spread system, too. His frame (6’4″, 215 lbs) and slight stature continually come into question. Arm strength, or lack thereof, always becomes a talking point. The fact Cal wasn’t hugely successful during his three seasons in Berkeley can even be used as a slight.
All of these things can and will be used against Goff when discussions arise about his viability as the top quarterback in this year’s draft class and his potential as a franchise-caliber talent.
In order to build a better understanding of Cal’s offense and Goff, Bleacher Report went right to the source and discussed both with the Golden Bears’ former offensive coordinator, Tony Franklin.
Franklin originally recruited the skinny quarterback from Novato, California, in Sonny Dykes’ first year as Cal’s head coach.
During their three seasons together, Goff was a three-year starter, set 26 school records, broke the Pac-12 single-season records in passing yardage (4,719 yards) and passing touchdowns (43) and took Cal to its first bowl game since 2011.
Franklin discussed exactly what was expected of his quarterback in an interview before he left Cal to be closer to home as Middle Tennessee State’s new offensive coordinator.
Bleacher Report: When Goff declared as a junior entrant to the NFL draft, I found it unique that you put out a press statement at the same time. In it you said, “I hope Jared gets lucky and ends up with one of the few coaches in that league who recognize a skill set and develop it, rather than the one who only criticizes his collegiate experiences and attempts to make football a much more complicated game than it really is.”
Why did you feel it was necessary to put that out there for everyone to read?
Tony Franklin: As a college coach and former high school teacher for 16 years, I think there is an elitist status in the NFL where they look at their game as something comparable to curing cancer and only a few people can understand it.
When I watch NFL film—and I frequently do—I see a game that is no different than college. The only difference is how you teach it. There are a couple of ways to teach it. I think you teach it in a manner of how someone learns. Or you can try to make something incredibly sophisticated or complicated in a long-winded teaching method.
If you’re a good teacher, the goal is to make things simple to the point where your students can be successful.
There’s just some form of an elitist attitude. It makes me sick to my stomach when I hear an NFL coach say, “These college coaches don’t teach these guys anything anymore. It takes me three years to get all of the bad stuff out of them.”
Basically, what they’re saying is anything that is wrong or negative can be traced back to college or high school. Anything that is good is because they’re such a genius.
I believe in the exact opposite. The best teachers and coaches are high school coaches. The second best are college coaches. And I think the worst are in the NFL.
Every time someone comes out and is productive, the first thing they say in the NFL is he’s a product of the system. Why is that bad? Why is it bad to be productive in a system that produces points and moves the ball? As an offensive coach, this is what you’re supposed to do.
If you do this, why is it a negative thing? It doesn’t mean it makes these young men NFL players.
My understanding is somewhere between 2 and 3 percent of Division I players have a chance at playing in the NFL. Why should you create a system that is only to help the NFL be better when 97 percent never play at the next level?
The objective is win games, have fun, score points and be something people want to come and see.
B/R: At its core, the NFL isn’t a developmental league. Have you ever had former players come back and say, “I didn’t receive a chance because I was considered too much of a project” or anything along those lines?
TF: The NFL is a talent league. If you have enough talent for what they’re trying to do, they’ll give you an opportunity to be successful.
I think it’s interesting in the NFL that a lot of the same franchises are always successful, while other franchises are always unsuccessful.
It falls on having good people. Good teams have good coaches. Bill Belichick has gone through so many offensive coordinators. It doesn’t really matter who is there, they’re going to be really good, because he’s the best coach in the league. You never hear them griping about players coming from certain systems.
All he does is take guys who are good human beings with physical skills, and he develops them into good football players.
I believe this to be true of other franchises that are successful.
Sure, it takes some guys longer to develop than others. This isn’t any different from the college level.
B/R: When many look at the Air Raid—or Bear Raid—offense you helped craft over the years, it’s often referred to as a check-with-me offense with simple reads and throws. How do you react to those claims?
TF: First of all, I hate when people call our deal the Air Raid. I don’t like it. It all goes back to a time when there was an offense called the Air Raid. If you ever coached with anybody in that, people take credit and say, “Yeah, they do what we do.”
If you watch our offense, that’s not who we are. We want to run the football. We tried to run the football. If we can, we do run the football. We have a tremendous amount of play-action passes and big sets. We have sets with seven offensive linemen in the game at the same time. We have sets with two or three tight ends in the game.
We weren’t a check-with-me system. There are times in my career where I did that, because it helped us win games. But our offense now is built upon progression reads.
There are many plays when you watch Jared, he gets to his fifth progression. It’s a straight dropback system where he goes through his progression and tries to get to that fifth read within three seconds. If he doesn’t, he’ll be in trouble, because he’ll be sacked.
We do a tremendous amount of run-pass stuff where we have a run play called with a two- or three-route combination on it.
He’s taking the snap as the coverages take place, fitting the ball into the running back’s stomach and needs to make a decision whether he’ll hand the ball off or throw to the first or second read in the progression.
It’s all based on post-snap reads.
Another thing we do with him, he was able to change protections at any time. He was allowed to change the play at any time. He probably had to do more than any NFL quarterback does right now.
A lot of what Jared did: I call a play with two or three guys running routes within the play. Pre-snap, he can come up and change everything. He could change the play completely if he wanted to do so. He could just change the protection. Or he could wait until the ball is snapped and make a decision based on what the defense did.
I try to make everything simple for the quarterback, but it doesn’t mean it’s simple. It’s my job to make him believe what he’s doing is simple. So, we tried to teach in simplistic terms.
Instead of saying, “when they’re in Cover 8 or 6 and the safety does this, you automatically do that,” I didn’t give him automatics. We talked in theories. Theoretically, this is what they’re trying to do, but it doesn’t mean it’s going to work.
Ninety percent of defensive coordinators after something went wrong with a player say, “We misaligned,” or “we didn’t get the check,” or “the strong safety got the check, but the free safety didn’t.”
Most of the time, defenses don’t know what they’re doing.
If I tell Jared as a quarterback, “If the safety does this, you should automatically go to this,” I’m not giving him rules that actually work. I’m giving him rules that are supposed to work. It doesn’t mean they do.
What I do is teach him what they’re trying to do. Therefore, if there is something easy within the progression and you want to take it, great, do that.
Otherwise, let’s go through the system and see if one, two, three, four and five are going to work if we’re dropping back like we’re supposed to.
B/R: It’s not always about the system. There are traits that allow an individual to separate himself from everything else. Could you go into more depth of a progression-read offense and what you’re teaching quarterbacks?
TF: For example, the play we call is North-Whip-Z. We’re in a two-by-two formation. Regardless of how the running back lines up, the quarterback’s understanding is we’re running a play with a high, medium and low read.
At the beginning of the play, he’s going to identify whether he has a one- or two-safety look. We understand a two-safety look prior to the start of the play might not remain the same once the ball is snapped.
Does it look like they’re going to be in man or zone coverage? Does it look like they’re going to blitz? If they are going to blitz, is it a man or zone blitz?
Having all that information in his brain helps him determine how fast he must get through his progression.
His progression on the aforementioned play is going to start with a corner route. The corner route is going to come opposite of the tag. For example, I called North-Whip-Z. In my brain, I know the Z (receiver) is on the right side. Therefore, the corner route is going to be on the left side.
If they’re in a two-safety look, I’m going to catch the ball, start in my drop and take a really long, slow first step. By the time I finish my first step, I’ll know whether they stayed in two safeties. If they stayed in two safeties, my eyes are going to stay on that corner route until I hit my last step.
Once I hit my last step, if I have enough grass, the corner hasn’t bailed and I’m talented enough to fit the ball there, I’m going to throw the corner route.
If the safety opened his hips and came off the hash mark, I know I have a chance with the sluggo route. In the NFL, they call it a slant-and-go. It means he is coming off the hip of the Y (receiver) on a corner route, and he’s going to split the two safeties.
If I didn’t throw the first read in the progression, my eyes are now going to go to the second read in the progress. The second read is the post route. If there is enough grass, they’re still in Tampa 2 and the “Mike” (linebacker) didn’t drop too deep, the quarterback should be able to fit the ball in there.
However, let’s say the Z (receiver) got rerouted along the way. I hit my last step. I came off my first and second reads. I immediately must go to the third read.
The third read is by the running back. He runs what we called a hold route. He went and tried to grab the dropping Mike backer to get his attention and pull him back. If the Mike got too deep, the running back is coming to an eight- to 10-yard hook route. If he’s open, I’m on it as my third read.
If the running back isn’t open, the last thing to get the quarterback out of the play is a whip route by the outside receiver. The outside receiver pushed up the field three steps. He then pushed inside five steps. On the fifth step, he stuck his toe in the ground and went back to the sideline. That’s the quarterback’s get-out-of-trouble guy.
Anywhere along the way if I noticed they rolled the safety one way, I know I’m likely not going to get the corner or post routes, but I’ll have the hold or whip routes.
However, your guy, Jared Goff, tells you the safety got too much depth and he’s good enough to throw a skinny post between the corner and the safety. If his talent allows him to do that, I’m going to throw that wrinkle into the play.
There’s an example of it against the Texans Longhorns. Jared hit his last step. They rolled to a single safety. He threw a perfect back-hip toss. If he threw it to his receiver’s front hip, the safety could have made a big hit. It turned into a 20-yard pickup.
That’s why he’s an NFL player versus other quarterbacks I’ve had. They may have been the best player in the league, but they can’t make that throw.
B/R: When some argue Goff needed another year in school to develop, what exactly does that mean? It seems so cliche simply because he only played three years as a true junior. Did you feel the same way—other than for selfish reasons?
TF: When Aaron Rodgers went to the NFL, was he ready to play in the first year? Nobody knows, because he didn’t need to play.
He sat there three years behind a Hall of Fame player in Brett Favre. Everyone says that’s the ideal situation.
Andrew Luck then comes in and plays from the beginning, and he’s a great player. Everyone says, “Well, the system prepared him to be great.”
Luck didn’t have the best year this past season before getting hurt. So what happened? Did he get worse? Was he coached to the point he was coached out of him? Did the talent around him get worse?
Nobody really knows, but everyone has an opinion on the subject.
With Jared—first of all—any time a young player has an opportunity to be a first-round pick, he should take it. It’s easy for all of those sitting behind a desk to say he isn’t ready and should stay another year.
Why? Why should he stay another year?
If you have an opportunity to obtain a life-changing income that most of us work 50 years and never make, why would you do that?
Second, the only time you ever get truly ready is to go somewhere and play. Nobody is ready until he gets a chance to go out there and do it.
Jared will physically get bigger and stronger. He did so over the years during his time at Cal. Whether or not he’s successful will depend on the team he goes to, the talent around him and how good of coaching he gets.
B/R: You mentioned both Aaron Rodgers and Andrew Luck, but let’s take this to a more personal level. You were on Kentucky’s staff when Tim Couch was the Wildcats quarterback before being selected No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 1999 NFL draft.
What similarities and differences do you see between him and Goff?
TF: There are a lot of similarities in the fact they both had phenomenal feet. That’s the one thing we worked incredibly hard at with Jared. We wanted him to have Peyton Manning feet. Manning is the one guy in the NFL who consistently gets more accurate throws because of his footwork.
We want them to be incredibly hot, like a typewriter. He’s always ready to throw the ball. He finds throwing lanes by moving his feet into proper position without taking steps. That’s what we teach.
The one thing everyone seems to be in consensus about Jared is he has a great feel for the rush, finds throwing lanes and his footwork.
That’s the one thing about him: He doesn’t get rattled. Tim was the same way. Tim didn’t get rattled. He found throwing lanes. And he was incredibly accurate.
The difference with Jared, he has a much better arm than Tim had. Tim had an average arm at best. Jared has a far livelier arm.
People call Tim a huge bust. I don’t think he was a huge bust. If you go back to what he did, the franchise was a huge bust. Tim eventually had some shoulder issues and couldn’t throw the ball very well at all by the end of his career.
They both love playing football. Jared would go out and play even if nobody watched. Tim was the same way. Jared wants to study the game.
My advice to him was to get a really good coach to prepare for the NFL draft process and listen to all the advice you can get. Ultimately, be who you are and what got you to this point while developing his own style.
If you watch the great ones, they all have something that’s their own.
During his career, he’ll likely have eight to 10 quarterback coaches. If he listens to every one of them, he’ll be completely screwed up.
B/R: Couch suffered greatly in the NFL due to a shoddy offensive line. Constant pressure can ruin a career. Goff was under duress quite a bit during his Cal career as well. Has there ever been any question about having to deal with constant pressure and how he responded?
TF: Jared got hit a lot. A lot of it was due to our run-pass options. We would have a run play called and the offensive line is blocking for that play, and he has three- or four-receiver routes off the run play.
Jared understood he was going to take one right in the mouth on some of those plays, but he had a potential touchdown by making the pass. He threw it and got hit in the mouth.
To me, this is one thing I saw in him: Jared Goff never flinched in three years of taking brutal hits.
He handles pressure as well as any quarterback who will ever play. He understands it. He shows zero fear. He has a great natural feel in the pocket. That’s something you’re born with.
He’s been trained incredibly well to work really hard in finding throwing lanes. He does a great job of doing so.
He doesn’t panic when a free blitzer comes through the line. He doesn’t panic when an O-lineman loses a D-lineman. He’ll wait until the last second before making his throw, and he’ll take shots because of it.
B/R: His ability to take punishment obviously leads into the next question. Goff is 21 years old, a true junior and listed at 215 pounds. He’s viewed as having a slight frame. Can you tell us how much weight he’s actually put on during his three years at Cal and how sturdy he can be as an NFL quarterback?
TF: I don’t know the actual number, and I’m guessing a bit here, but he’s put on at least 30 pounds. He came in as a pencil. He worked really hard to do so through his nutrition and the strength program.
He’s like most young men. When you’re 21 or 22 years old, they haven’t reached their full strength or muscle structure. It’s one of the reasons why I think he’ll continue getting better.
The product you have right now is good enough if surrounded by the right players. He’s good enough to be a successful quarterback tomorrow.
If he’s not surrounded by good players, he’ll be the same as every other quarterback who entered the NFL, and he’ll take a beating. It then comes down to luck whether he holds up or not.
I think his body structure and strength will continue to get better, and it’s good enough now to survive for a team that can protect him.
(Goff’s official measurements at the NFL combine came in at 6’4″and 215 pounds with nine-inch hands, per ESPN.com’s Louis Riddick.)
B/R: One thing often undersold during the draft process is a player’s off-the-field stuff. If I asked about his work ethic, study habits, how his teammates view him and overall intangibles, could you tell us about the person you saw every day on and off the field?
TF: The No. 1 quality he has that separated him from any great player: He showed zero selfishness. He never cared about stats.
When he broke Marcus Mariota’s (Pac-12 Conference) record for most passing touchdowns in a season, I would bet you any amount of money that he didn’t have any idea what the record was. The same thing for yardage records.
At the end of ballgames—whether they were close or blowouts—he would come to me and tell me to run the football if we needed to do so. He didn’t care if we pounded the ball. He wanted to win the game.
Teammates could have easily been jealous due to all of the recognition he received. But he always took the criticism on himself. He always praised his teammates.
When you have that type of personal leadership and the understanding of it, teammates never get jealous. That’s what he had: teammates who supported him, weren’t jealous and knew all he wanted to do was win.
The other thing that was amazing to me is we had six guys catch 40 or more balls. I believe it’s only the second time in college football history. We also had three running backs run for over 500 yards. Jared did a phenomenal job of distributing the ball to the open guy.
He also realized if one of his targets didn’t have a catch, he needed to get him the ball.
As for his work ethic, my office was right next to the film room. I believe in meetings being short—only 30 to 45 minutes. A lot of film work for a quarterback who plays for me is done on their own. I’m not making you do it. I just know if you’re doing it, you’ll be great. If not, you’re probably not the starter.
He was one of those guys in the film room who studied, constantly asked questions and wanted to learn all of the time.
And he’s not a guy you’re going to read in the papers doing something he shouldn’t be doing. He’s a good guy. A fun guy. He goes out with his teammates, and they appreciate it.
He also understands he needs to train his body to be the best he can be, and he’s being watched all of the time.
znModeratorfrom off the net
—
Merlin
They had Goff’s coach on Sirius today
Right off the top they asked him what he felt was Goff’s greatest strength and the answer really surprised me: he said it was how much better Goff was every time he saw him after a layoff.
They discussed that for a little while and he mentioned that year to year he made leaps and bounds after the season, with significantly notable improvement, and that it was after he came back after his freshman season and offseason that the coaches looked at each other and noted that they really had something special in him.
znModeratorWe start out 3 of our first 4 on the road, and finish with 3 of 4 at home. If somehow we can keep it at or better than .500 after week 12, then there would be some excitement.
(Someone out there on the net noticed this.) Yeah but one “home” game is in London.
First 7 games/ first 8 weeks:
2 home games.
4 road games.
game in London.
bye week.Only 2 home home games in the first 8 weeks…
znModeratorHow much is the rookie pool now, I wonder?
znModeratorLouis Riddick breaks down why he has draft prospect Jared Goff going No. 1 over Carson Wentz in his 2016 mock draft, saying that he has “a lot more faith” in him than others do. (1:03)
znModeratorTodd Gurley driven to remain Rams’ humble superstar in Los Angeles
By Vinnie Iyer
Todd Gurley ran away with offensive rookie of the year in St. Louis. He’s about to become an even bigger sensation in Los Angeles.
That doesn’t mean the Rams running back has gone all Hollywood on us. Despite rushing for 1,106 yards in 13 games last year and having no knee injury from which to recover this offseason, he’s as humble and hardworking as ever.
“It’s been cool. Everybody’s excited about the move,” Gurley told Sporting News. “We’re in transition, just getting ready for the upcoming season. Hopefully we can get some wins, make a playoff run and give the fans something to be excited about.”
Los Angeles is going through a transition in losing hardwood hero Kobe Bryant. But the Rams, now armed with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft and set to be featured on HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” are living up to their gridiron glitz. Gurley is aware of the new shine, but he’s looking to avoid getting caught in the glare.
“You try to stay away from it and block it out, but you want to embrace it sometimes,” Gurley said. “I definitely was blessed to have a great year like I did, but it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t have another great one.”
When the Rams last had their heyday in L.A. some 30 years ago, it was fueled by Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson, who rushed for an NFL-record 2,105 yards in 1984. Gurley already has generated some buzz with his potential to become the NFL’s next member of the 2K club, but it’s not like him to think in that (two) grand fashion.
“My teammates talk about that all the time, but I just want to work hard, keep grinding on the field and let everything take care of itself,” Gurley said.
Gurley has been compared to Dickerson with his running style, which has helped draw up that dream. Some of his favorite all-time great feature backs include Walter Payton and another who once blew up for the Raiders in the Coliseum, Bo Jackson. As a Ravens fan growing up, Gurley especially loved watching another one-time 2,000-yard back Jamal Lewis.
He also has great respect for his older contemporaries, namely Marshawn Lynch, Adrian Peterson, Matt Forte and Le’Veon Bell.
“I follow all the running backs now and the past running backs to see what I can take from their game,” Gurley said, with the goal of increasing his potential for explosive runs in Year 2. That’s a scary thought for the rest of the league after he had 11 rushes for 20 or more yards as rookie, including a 71-yard touchdown against the 49ers.
Gurley talked to SN on behalf of Kelley Blue Book’s #DriveSmart program. He spoke to students at Inglewood High School on Thursday, teaming up with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving.
It didn’t take long for Gurley to learn the challenges of Los Angeles area traffic as compared to other places he’s driven.
“It’s definitely a lot crazier, probably the worst I’ve been in,” Gurley said. “Coming from Atlanta to L.A, it’s definitely a lot worse, so you want to be distraction-free on the road.”
Driven to be even better on the field, Gurley appreciates the opportunity to be in a market where he can help inspire a lot more young people off the field.
“It’s good to get stared in any community. We’ve having the new stadium built in Inglewood, and it should be good. Hopefully, these kids can a chance to see us play this season.”
No matter who the Rams draft as their quarterback, Gurley will be their biggest attraction for a long time
znModeratorRon Jaworski breaks down the strengths of both Jared Goff and Carson Wentz and who has the edge at the quarterback position. (2:15)
znModeratorfrom off the net
==
-X-
For those who believe the Rams’ offense is archaic and Fisher is out of touch with today’s “modern” NFL offenses, do me a favor and suspend disbelief in his vision for a minute and take a look at something real quick. These are the splits for the Rams last year in terms of running and passing in the first and second halves.
And this last graphic represents the games that were arguably decided by QB play.
IF* (and I understand it’s a big IF) these games were quarterbacked a little better, the record last year, conceivably could have been 13-3 instead of 7-9. And that’s a very fair estimate in my opinion. So I ask you. What’s wrong with the way this offense runs other than the fact that it didn’t have a top QB?
In my opinion, this team (including this offense) is built for late January/early February football. The offense is all about ball control, clock management, running the ball, and play-action. If they get this qb pick right, and get a little luck in the injury department, we’re already on the track to success. We just need to quit having it derailed by injury and only average QB play. We’re a balanced offense that simply missed a few opportunities to put games away due to lackluster quarterbacking.
Everything unraveled when Foles unraveled, and it was too late once Keenum was installed. If I can find fault in anything about Fisher last year, i can say that he was a little late to pull the plug on Foles.
Fisher’s philosophy is balanced offense with an emphasis on clock control. But we’ve seen first-hand that he’s not opposed to throwing the ball (2012), or using tons of different offensive formations and motion to open up the passing game (2014 & 2015). And I saw tremendous potential for the scheme when Boras took over. It can work as it is with just a bit more production out of the QB position and maybe one or two upgrades at the playmaker positions. If those things change, and nothing else, there’s no reason that this offense can’t get the Rams into the playoffs and beyond.
I reject the notion that this offense has no unique elements. There was a feature video illustrating exactly what made it unique – and that’s being able to run multiple plays out of the same exact formation with disguised looks. While that’s not ground-breaking or anything, it is something that eliminates the possibility of defenses knowing what you’re gonna do. Half of their passing routes featured a smoke route or quick screen to Tavon that gets set up by blocking (disguised as run blocking) and he gets sprung for huge gains. That didn’t surprise me. It happened a lot. There were also some decent routes that were drawn up for Kenny Britt that Keenum took advantage of once he finally got the start.
Everyone knows that the Rams ranked dead last in 3rd down conversion percentage last year. But what they may not know, is that they jumped up 7 spots in the last 3 games – ahead of teams like Denver and Pitt. And that’s because of Keenum and a half-year of new scheme. Imagine how much it can jump with a full year under Boras and a more proficient passer.
All of the late season improvements with Keenum and Boras bode well for the future.
They drafted a ton of linemen, picked up the best RB in the league, and are finally in a position to improve on the QB position. The last part being all you need to succeed if you’re a balanced team with a stellar defense. 7 of the top 10 teams in terms of passing yards didn’t even make the playoffs last year. I’d be willing to bet fans of those teams would GLADLY trade in some of those passing yards for a stout run game and good defense. The recipe for success, however, lies square in the middle.
znModerator
April 22, 2016 at 9:14 pm in reply to: analysts/reporters (Silver, Cosell, etc.) on which qb Rams will/should pick #42423znModeratorMike Gill @MikeGillShow
Talking to ESPN’s @ClaytonESPN right now – says he thinks #Rams take Carson Wentz – Says look at history of Jeff Fishers QB’sznModeratorWell, I thought Williams was doing a good job, but I always admired Bud, so I’m okay with them bringing him back.
Lost me.
znModeratorthoughts on josh norman. i don’t think they should sign him, but if they’re in a win now mode… silver really like him and thinks the rams could make it work with the salary cap.
Got this off the net:
WASH Signs CB Josh Norman To 5 Yr, $75M ($50M Guaranteed)
znModeratorHe didn’t say “us” though.
He starts to say “Carson will win a superbowl…” but cuts it short, and corrects himself to say “he will be in a superbowl.”
He almost had the “s” in superbowl out before he catches himself and corrects it.
He has second thoughts mid sentence, and what he didn’t want to say is “will win a superbowl.” and corrects it to “will be in a superbowl.”
znModeratorHe didn’t say “us” though.
znModeratorCome on, Zack, surely you got my post!
Yes I did! I responded in kind I thought.
znModeratorNever in my years of watching football have I seen such foolishness.
But then how often have you tried the Dani Klupenger method?
April 22, 2016 at 11:13 am in reply to: analysts/reporters (Silver, Cosell, etc.) on which qb Rams will/should pick #42390znModeratorGreg Cosell’s Draft Preview: Carson Wentz fitz Rams best
Greg Cosell
The Los Angeles Rams have an offensive identity, and I think Carson Wentz fits that identity better than Jared Goff.
As I discussed in our episode of our new “The Shutdown” podcast, which you can listen to below (we also discussed many of the draft’s top quarterbacks in our first draft preview podcast), the Rams have a run-oriented offense. They have a foundation back in Todd Gurley, and he will be the focal point of what they do.
When you have a run-first offense with an I-back like Gurley, your quarterback is usually going to line up in normal down-and-distance situations under center. He has to develop a drop-back pass game from under center and also a play-action pass game from under center. The play-action pass game requires a quarterback to turn his back to the defense, snap his head around and locate the defense – which will be in a different place from where it was before he turned his back. That’s a skill learned over time. That’s not something you learn in three practices. It’s also something Wentz has done. It’s something Goff has likely never done during his career, because he’s an “Air Raid” quarterback who played from the shotgun.
It’s possible Goff could learn to do it. But there’s more layers of learning for Goff in this style of offense. Now, if the Rams believe Goff will clearly be the better player three years from now, then they should draft him and teach him. But you have to understand if you do that, it’ll take Goff longer to master the kind of offense you want to run.
I have Wentz as my No. 1 quarterback in this class, and to me he’s clearly ahead of Goff (you can see my full profile on Wentz here, and my full profile on Goff here). When you add in the fact that I believe Wentz is a better fit for the Rams and what they want to do on offense, I think Wentz is the better choice at No. 1. Also, for reasons we discuss in the podcast, I think Goff fits in well with the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense, if he were to end up being the second pick.
znModeratorRight now I’m circling every third word in the Rams preview section.
I already did that.
It says “The Higgs Boson is awesome but it’s NOT responsible for most of your mass.”
Not sure what that means, but it seems to lean toward the heavier of the 2 qbs.
April 21, 2016 at 10:56 pm in reply to: analysts/reporters (Silver, Cosell, etc.) on which qb Rams will/should pick #42375znModeratorAfter Sam Bradford for Nick Foles fails, Rams and Eagles chase quarterbacks in draft
Nick Wagoner
To hear Los Angeles Rams coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead tell it, had it not been for the second-round pick the Rams acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles in the teams’ 2015 swap of quarterbacks, the Rams never would have been able to trade from No. 15 to No. 1 in this year’s draft.
“I think that was really the only reason we were able to do that was because we had the multiple 2s,” Fisher said.
As it turned out, not only was that pick — No. 43 overall — the difference between the Rams being able to make the trade with Tennessee but the thing that likely kept the Eagles themselves from making the move to No. 1.
Less than a week after the Rams and Titans consummated one of the biggest trades in NFL history, the Eagles followed suit Wednesday, surrendering a large package of draft picks to move from No. 8 to No. 2 in a deal with the Cleveland Browns. That trade was the second move up the board for Philadelphia, which earlier moved from No. 13 to No. 8 in a trade with the Miami Dolphins. It’s only the fourth time that the top two picks in a given draft have been traded.
From all indications, the Rams and Eagles made their respective moves with one obvious goal in mind: to land a franchise quarterback. Of course, there’s some irony to be found in the fact that it’s those two teams now sitting atop the draft board.
After all, it was just 408 days ago that they attempted to solve their respective quarterback woes by swapping veteran signal-callers. In addition to the second-round pick the Rams got from Philadelphia, they also received Nick Foles while the Eagles got Sam Bradford. In the time since, the teams posted identical 7-9 records and gave questionable contract extensions to Foles and Bradford, with the Rams making that move before Foles had ever played a snap for them.
Bradford and Foles went on to finish 31st and 33th, respectively, among qualified quarterbacks in QBR. The Rams benched Foles in favor of Case Keenum midway through the season.
So here the Rams and Eagles are again, finding new trade partners but with the same goal. It’s the latest example of just how difficult it is to find the right quarterback to lead a franchise.
“There’s not enough of them on the planet to feed 32 NFL teams,” Snead said, “so that’s the challenge.”
The going rate for average quarterback performances only serves to illustrate Snead’s point. What the Rams and Eagles surrendered to have a chance to draft Cal’s Jared Goff and North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz is just the latest example of the exorbitant price that a top quarterback prospect, even one who hasn’t played in the NFL, can command.
Including the deal Philadelphia made with Miami, the Rams and Eagles combined to trade away pick Nos. 8, 13 and 15, two second-round choices, two third-round picks and a fourth-round pick in this year’s draft, two first-round picks and a third-round pick in 2017, a second-round pick in 2018, linebacker Kiko Alonso and cornerback Byron Maxwell in order to land the top two picks in 2016 as well as fourth- and sixth-round picks for the Rams this year and a 2017 fourth-round pick for the Eagles.
So yes, the cost is high, but given the dearth of quality quarterbacks, it can be understood.
“I am not a huge fan of [these trades] pretty much no matter the circumstance,” ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said. “If you look historically, it does not often work out really well for teams that have packaged these picks and moved up. Now, this situation is a little bit different especially considering that Les Snead and Jeff Fisher realize they are in a major win-now mode, and they built up this team by getting a bunch of picks and getting really good on defense. And they got their running back last year and all the parts, but they have just never have been able to get over the hump, and the vast majority of the reason has been because of the quarterback position.
“So I understand the move. They would have to be crazy not to be thinking to themselves, ‘What do we care about all these draft picks if we are not going to be here because we haven’t been able to win?’ So that’s kind of the thing. I understand it. I just don’t think it’s good business if you really study it.”
While the Rams-Eagles trade of 2015 came with relatively little risk, this year’s pre-draft deals are the kind that can get football decision-makers fired if they don’t work. Neither Goff nor Wentz comes with a pick-back guarantee. As McShay points out, history hasn’t been kind to teams mortgaging the future for a quarterback. Perhaps Goff and/or Wentz will change that perception.
The Eagles and Rams are betting big that this year’s big gambles pay far more handsomely than the small wager they made in 2015.
April 21, 2016 at 8:59 pm in reply to: analysts/reporters (Silver, Cosell, etc.) on which qb Rams will/should pick #42374znModeratorFive Takeaways: Jared Goff’s Visit with the Rams
Myles Simmons
Now that the Rams have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, it’s no secret that they’ll likely select one of two quarterbacks — Carson Wentz of North Dakota State or Jared Goff of Cal. Los Angeles hosted both players at the Oxnard, Calif. facility this week in order to get one more up-close-and-personal look at the two signal-callers.
Goff was the second to visit and our Dani Klupenger caught up with him for an interview. Here are five takeaways from their conversation.
1) Goff is a confident man
People often talk about quarterbacks needing a certain amount of swagger in order to be successful in the NFL. After observing his interview, it appears Goff has every bit of what he’ll need in that department.
“I’m just very confident in myself. I turned around Cal football — had a lot of help doing it, but I had a big role in it,” Goff said. “I know it’s a completely different level and a lot of different stuff going on, but I’m just very confident in myself and my abilities.”
Goff’s confidence doesn’t come off as cockiness, as he’s quick to point out it’s his commitment to improvement that creates results.
“I think I can be very successful if I put my mind to it — really work hard and prepare the right way,” he said.
Though Cal has produced some strong quarterbacks — the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers one of them — the program is not necessarily thought of as a football powerhouse. Goff is right when he says he played a significant role in the team’s re-emergence, particularly in 2015. The quarterback threw for 4,714 yards, 43 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in his junior year, leading the Golden Bears to an 8-5 record and a victory in the Armed Forces Bowl in December.
Considering where the program had been just two years before, it is a remarkable turnaround.
2) Learning from freshman year
Where were the Golden Bears in 2013? Cal finished 1-11 in its first year under head coach Sonny Dykes, which was also Goff’s true freshman year. Despite being a fresh-faced 18 year old at the beginning of the season, Goff started all 12 games and set multiple program records.
But coming away victorious in only one game that year was not enjoyable for the California native.
“I went through a rough freshman year,” Goff said. “I don’t expect to ever go through a year like that again, hopefully.”
However, the 1-11 season provided invaluable experience the quarterback plans to use as he acclimates to being a pro.
“I learned a lot from it,” Goff said. “I know a lot of stuff that I went through that year is a lot of stuff I wish I could get back. So you learn stuff through different experiences, and that experience is irreplaceable. It’s something that — as a football player, as a quarterback, as a leader, as a young player — that I can use in the future.”
3) Getting comfortable under center
One of the questions surrounding Goff as he transitions is how he’ll adjust to taking snaps under center. Per nfl.com, Goff spent 99.8 percent of the time either in the shotgun or pistol formation in his junior year at Cal.
The quarterback said at the Combine in February he’d been working extensively on that, and now he’s become much more adept at the standard procedure.
“That’s really all I’ve been doing, is getting comfortable taking snaps under center,” Goff said. “It really didn’t take that long to get comfortable with, and [I’m] just continuing to work on it, get better at it.”
NFL teams vary in how much they use the shotgun, but taking snaps under center is still one of the essential requirements of being a pro quarterback.
4) Not an Aaron Rodgers clone
The Packers’ quarterback is arguably the best signal-caller to ever come out of Cal, but that doesn’t mean Goff wants to be a younger version of him.
“I like stuff he does — I like a lot of the stuff he does. He’s one of my favorites,” Goff said of Rodgers. “There’s a lot of stuff I try to emulate of his. I like him, I like Drew Brees, I like Peyton Manning, I like Tom Brady — most of the same guys that everyone says. I like Tony Romo. I like the stuff that they do. It’s all good stuff.”
But like most incoming rookies, particularly at the quarterback position, Goff is looking forward to carving out his own space in the league.
“I try to be myself, I try to be my own player,” Goff said. “Hopefully, someone will model their game after me. I just try to do my own thing.”
As for comparisons others have made, quite a few analysts have likened Goff to Falcons QB Matt Ryan.
5) Leaving a lasting impression
This harkens back to the first takeaway, but Goff’s confidence along with his strong work ethic are two of the characteristic he wanted to make sure came across in his time with Los Angeles this week.
He said he wanted the Rams’ brass to feel, “if they select me, they’re making the right decision. They’re making the best decision they’ve made.
“I can be the franchise quarterback,” Goff continued. “I can be a guy who’s the face of the franchise, a guy who can lead them to where they want to be — go to the playoffs, and to Super Bowls, and be very successful. I truly believe that about myself and that I can bring that to a team.”
And as any young player would, Goff said he’s hoping to hear his name called first in Chicago.
“I’m really excited for it,” Goff said. “If that’s the case, I’m ready to get to work and make them be proud of the decision they made, and know they made the right decision.”
We’ll all see how it works out with the No. 1 selection in a matter of days on April 28.
———–
Five Takeaways: Carson Wentz’s Visit with the Rams
Myles Simmons
Now that the Rams have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, it’s no secret that they’ll likely select one of two quarterbacks — Carson Wentz of North Dakota State or Jared Goff of Cal. This week, Los Angeles hosted both players at the Oxnard, Calif. facility in order to get one more up-close-and-personal look at the two signal-callers.
Wentz was the first to visit and our Dani Klupenger caught up with him for an interview. Here are five takeaways from their conversation.
1) Wentz classifies himself as someone willing to do whatever it takes
For the Rams to have traded up from No. 15 to No. 1, they clearly knew plenty about the two QBs expected to be taken at the top of the draft. But Wentz wanted to make sure the Rams knew when he left this last visit that he is an ultra-competitive winner.
“I think a lot of people know that about me. But I just really strive to be the best in whatever I’m doing,” Wentz said. “And the track record of winning speaks for itself. But I think winning can fix a lot of things in this league. And I want everyone to know I’m a winner and I’m going to do what it takes to win.”
There’s hard evidence to back up those claims. NDSU amassed a 20-3 record with Wentz as its starting quarterback, winning its fourth and fifth consecutive FCS National Championships in 2014 and 2015. Though Wentz missed eight games as a senior due to a broken wrist, he came back for the National Championship game and led the Bison to a 37-10 victory over Jacksonville State. That he worked so hard to come back and play in that game says plenty about his competitive nature.
2) How he’ll make the FCS-to-NFL transition
One of the main criticisms levied against Wentz is the large jump from FCS to the NFL. The quarterback acknowledged the speed of the game will be one of the most significant changes — as it is for all rookies in their first pro season.
“I think no matter where you come from, you’ve got to make an adjustment — the speed of play, it’s obvious. It’s fast,” Wentz said. “And I think you’ve got to go put on the tape and see what I’ve done against the competition I’ve faced. And I’ve always believed I play at a fast pace, play at a high level.”
Wentz, however, will not be the first quarterback in recent years to try to make this transition as a first-round pick. Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco finished his college career at Delaware before the Ravens picked him at No. 18 overall in 2008. That year, Flacco helped lead the Ravens to a 11-5 record and two playoff wins.
The NDSU product is confident he can follow that mold.
“I believe if anyone wants to doubt that I can make the transition, I’m just super excited to prove them wrong,” Wentz said.
3) Knows how to make pre-snap adjustments
One of the factors that could help Wentz early in his pro career is just how much control he had at the line of scrimmage. The quarterback described his pre-snap responsibilities as extensive, which makes the NFL systems he’s been exposed to seem decently familiar.
“Ever since the Senior Bowl week, and talking with other coaches throughout this process — it’s all similar,” Wentz said. “They’re going to call it something different, you’re going to have different adjustments to things, but, for the most part, it’s all similar stuff. And I was in charge of a lot at the line of scrimmage with changing plays, getting us into different plays, kills, changing entire plays from run to pass, pass to run — you name it. I was big into understanding the details of it.”
With those similar concepts and his deep knowledge of them, Wentz may be able to get acclimated to the professional level that much faster.
4) Admires many quarterbacks, but wants to create his own lane
No matter who you are, if you’re an incoming rookie, you’ll get asked what NFL players you look up to and who you’d like to emulate in the league. Wentz’s answer for this largely centered on the fact that he’d like to be his own man — someone who can take the best qualities of those quarterbacks he admires from around the NFL.
“Tom Brady — for one, he’s a winner, but two just the way he dissects people and gets the ball out so quick,” Wentz said. “Peyton Manning also comes to mind — just the way he prepared. Whether he did or not, it looked like he knew what you were doing before you did it. And he was just always analyzing things and was probably the most prepared guy — potentially — in the history of the game
“Cam Newton, also, the way he makes plays and has fun out there. He enjoys the game. The thing is, it’s still a game, have fun with it,” Wentz continued. “And then Aaron Rodgers — the way he just commands the play, makes some unbelievable plays on the field. So there’s pieces of all of their games
Those are undoubtedly four quality quarterbacks.
“Again, I want to be my own player,” Wentz said, “but, obviously, those would be some good attributes to have.”
When it comes to comparisons others have made, Wentz has been likened to big-bodied QBs such as Ben Rotehlisberger and Blake Bortles.
5) He’s not fazed by possibility of playing in L.A.
Wentz is a North Dakota kid through and through. He grew up there, played his college ’ball there — there’s no disputing it. But that doesn’t mean he’s rattled by the prospect of coming to the nation’s second-largest market.
“My big thing is not making anything bigger than it has to be. It’s still just football,” Wentz said. “Personally, I think I’m kind of excited for it. I’ve got to wear sunscreen probably every day of the year instead of just a couple months — but other than that, it’s beautiful down here. And I’d be excited for it.”
Plus, being selected at No. 1 overall would have benefits in and of itself.
“It would be kind of a dream come true, honestly,” Wentz said. “It’s something where you go to college and you don’t necessarily think, ‘That’s my goal.’ But you’re striving for it, you’re working for it. And to be the top guy would be really special to me.”
We’ll all see how it works out with the No. 1 selection in a matter of days on April 28.
April 21, 2016 at 7:39 pm in reply to: Rating the NFL draft prospects: Quarterbacks (McGinn, Goselin) #42372znModeratorMcGinn is always an anticipated draft read because he does things like this:
A poll by the Journal Sentinel of 17 personnel men with national orientation….etc.
April 21, 2016 at 7:38 pm in reply to: Rating the NFL draft prospects: Quarterbacks (McGinn, Goselin) #42371znModeratorScouts’ perceptions flipped on Carson Wentz, Connor Cook
Bob McGinn
Green Bay — The rise of North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz and the fall of Michigan State’s Connor Cook underscore the fleeting nature of scouting reports and how perceptions of quarterbacks can change dramatically in less than a year.
Last May, Cook was ranked second and Wentz 13th among the class of senior quarterbacks by National Football Scouting Inc., the largest of the two scouting combines that serve NFL teams.
Next week, Wentz could be the Los Angeles Rams’ selection with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, whereas Cook might fall all the way to the second round and possibly even the third.
NFS, whose members include the Green Bay Packers and 19 other clubs, gave Wentz a priority free agent grade of 4.91 entering his senior season. It represented the opinion of one area scout who went to Fargo, N.D., watched tape and wrote a report that was later disseminated and discussed with personnel from all 20 teams.
Among the quarterbacks rated far ahead of Wentz were USC’s Cody Kessler and Arizona State’s Mike Bercovici. Wentz also trailed Liberty’s Josh Woodrum, Massachusetts’ Blake Frohnapfel, Florida State’s Everett Golson and Western Kentucky’s Brandon Doughty, who, like Bercovici, might be pleased just to secure a free-agent contract after the draft.
“The scout missed him,” said a personnel director for one of the NFS member teams. “It was just one scout’s opinion.”
Meanwhile, Cook received a grade of 6.01, making him a late first-round pick.
“In the summer time he was highly regarded,” said an AFC personnel man. “He was overvalued.”
Blesto Inc., the other combine, provided its eight member teams with spring grades from two scouts. Using a far different scale, Wentz received grades of 1.7 (seventh round) and 1.3 (third round), whereas Cook received grades of 1.4 (fourth round) and 1.18 (first round).
Everyone knows that preseason grades represent little more than a starting point for scouts exhausted from one draft and now having to switch gears and prepare for another. The measurements and other basic information are more important for teams than the grade, which will be superseded by team scouts.
Still, it’s rather startling to see how far Wentz and Cook moved in opposite directions. A poll by the Journal Sentinel of 17 personnel men with national orientation reflects the change.
In the survey, scouts were asked to name their five favorite quarterbacks in order, with first place worth five points, second place worth four and so on.
Jared Goff, the junior from California, edged Wentz, 73 to 711/2. Goff had eight firsts, one more than Wentz.
Third was junior Paxton Lynch of Memphis with 52 points (one first) and fourth was Cook, who also had one first and totaled 29.
Following, in order, were Christian Hackenberg (11), Dak Prescott (61/2), Jacoby Brissett (four), Jeff Driskel (31/2), Kevin Hogan (21/2), and Cardale Jones and Nate Sudfeld, each one.
Wentz’ ascension is more the result of his impressive performance on the field and in interviews during the Senior Bowl and combine than a senior season in which he missed eight of the Bison’s 15 games with a broken wrist.
A small-town guy from the North Dakota capital of Bismarck, Wentz seems to have captivated his audience.
“He’s a humble kid that was raised right,” an AFC personnel director said. “He has high ambition, a good mind and a high likability factor. I think very highly of him.”
Of the 69 quarterbacks drafted in the first round from 1984-2015, just two — Steve McNair from Alcorn State in ’95 and Joe Flacco from Delaware in ’08 — hailed from non-FBS colleges.
If Wentz turns out as good as McNair and Flacco, his employer probably would be ecstatic.
Several scouts said their main reservation concerning Wentz was caliber of competition and North Dakota State’s overwhelming march to five straight FCS championships and a 71-5 record.
Wentz walked on and redshirted in 2011, backed up Brock Jensen for two seasons and then started just 23 games (20-3) the past two years. Jensen, from Waupaca, Wis., didn’t last long as a Dolphins free agent in 2014 before finding work in the CFL.
“He has skyrocketed this postseason for a guy being hurt most of the year,” said an NFC personnel man. “It took three years to start in I-AA. I know he had a hell of a career.
“He couldn’t beat out Brock Jensen and now he’s going to be the (top) pick in the draft? He’s just got a scary profile.”
Sixteen of the 17 scouts agreed to pick the best candidate to bust from among the leading passers. Cook led the way with six votes, Lynch garnered five, Hackenberg had three, and both Goff and Wentz had one.
Cook sat out Michigan State’s finest victory (at Ohio State) with a shoulder injury but was MVP of the Big Ten championship game for a second time and broke some of Kirk Cousins’ school records. His rating of 93.3 was in keeping with his first two seasons as a starter, but the more scouts saw the less they appeared to like.
“He’s certainly not a front-line starter that can win you games,” an NFL personnel chief said. “Put him on against Iowa and Alabama if you think this guy can do it. Their biggest win, Ohio State, he didn’t even play.”
Many personnel people have called into question Cook’s “makeup” and ability to become the face of an NFL team.
“Like to have a better work ethic out of a quarterback,” an AFC scout said. “He knows it. I talked to him. He’s a smart kid, a college kid. He liked to hit the streets and chase.
“He wasn’t voted team captain. But, he wasn’t going to get it over (center) Jack Allen no matter what happened.”
That personnel man compared Cook to retired journeyman starter Kyle Orton, and it wasn’t intended as a compliment.
Cook could become the Big Ten’s first quarterback drafted in the first round since Penn State’s Kerry Collins in 1995 when the Nittany Lions had just concluded their second season in the conference.
The Big Ten produced first-round quarterbacks Art Schlichter, Tony Eason, Chuck Long, Jim Everett, Jim Harbaugh and Jeff George from 1982-’90. None of them compared with Tom Brady (sixth round), Drew Brees (second round) and Russell Wilson (third round), who have combined to win six Super Bowls.
“Depth-wise, it’s a good group, but I don’t see the premier guy in there,” an AFC personnel man said. “I would take (Jameis) Winston and (Marcus) Mariota over these guys. They’re Pro Bowlers. These guys are solid starters.”
znModeratorUnless the Rams realize that Silver is precisely the right guy to feed disinformation to. Cause, he’s perceived of as an insider, which makes him a great conduit for disinformation.
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I was tempted to use that as my handle
many years ago — “conduit for disinformation ram”But wv was easier to type.
w
vBut, “cdr” has a nice ring to it.
But I agree that “Wiley Varmint” is a nice handle.
Yours sincerely,
Ziplock Nevada Ram
znModeratorBut I think these teams and an insider like Silver probably have a good idea.
Unless the Rams realize that Silver is precisely the right guy to feed disinformation to. Cause, he’s perceived of as an insider, which makes him a great conduit for disinformation.
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April 21, 2016 at 8:25 am in reply to: from around the net… on Goff/Wentz (a must read thread tho long) #42350znModeratorstill yet even MORE follow-up…again
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jrry32
Here are some great examples of what make Goff special:
https://gifs.com/gif/W61WDx
https://gifs.com/gif/v2wmV5
https://gifs.com/gif/xkyoX3
https://gifs.com/gif/PNG631
https://gifs.com/gif/o2mAxB
https://gifs.com/gif/v2wmG0
https://gifs.com/gif/W61WMQ(make sure to watch the last video because the work he does on that play for a first down is incredible)
I purposefully didn’t pick big plays and scoring plays from that game.(trust me, there were some amazing throws for big plays/TDs in this game that I easily could have picked) I picked plays that seem like fairly run of the mill plays on the stat sheet. The reason I picked these plays is because they illustrate the things that Goff does that will make the biggest difference at the next level.
He’s got bodies all around him and yet he’s fully in control. He’s moving with a purpose and always knows where his receivers are so he’s ready to get the ball out to the open man as soon as he has enough time.
That’s what wins you football games. The guy who can buy just that extra split second of time when the pocket is collapsing and hit his open WR with the ball. If there’s anything that Goff is incredible at, it’s moving within the pocket and knowing exactly where his WRs are when it comes time to get rid of the ball. Goff is a much more frustrating guy for a pass rush because of how well he moves in the pocket and how good his instincts are. It’s like going up against Tom Brady and Drew Brees. Doesn’t matter how good a job you do at collapsing the pocket, they always seem to find day-light and get the ball out.
And I recognize a few of the examples I posted here are check-downs but that’s my point. Peyton Manning murders teams with check-downs. Because when he’s under pressure, he always seems to know who is open. Goff has that same sort of ability. He’s not too selfish. When he knows the pressure is coming, he’ll hit his check-down guy. And he moves so quickly through his progressions and reads that he actually gives his check-down guy an opportunity to pick up yards after the catch.
Goff’s instincts, movement, and poise in the pocket are special. He has a great feel for where throwing lanes are and an innate sense of where pressure is coming from. He has extremely quick feet which allow him to move quick and reset quickly to get the ball out. And the guy doesn’t drop his eyes. He keeps his head on a swivel and knows exactly who to get the ball to as soon as he’s bought enough time to get it out.
The guy’s OL sucked. And it forced him to develop these skills. Thank the Lord it did. Because this is a kid who can step in right away and make the Rams OL look good.
There are some similarities to Bradford but Goff is on a whole another level when it comes to pocket instincts, movement, and poise under pressure. He’s among the best I’ve evaluated in those categories. Bradford wasn’t. It’s the one blind spot I had with Bradford. When he got the NFL, it became apparent how raw he was in that regard. He improved over time but he’s never grown comfortable with pressure. He’s a guy you have to keep clean.
What about snaps under center, the footwork, timing and the progressions on 3, 5 and 7 step drops? And turning one’s back to the defense on play-action? Goff has been working all off-season on this, has tremendously quick feet and polished footwork, and processes things extremely quickly on the field. He can handle it. There is going to be a transition for every QB. The question is if they have the attributes to successfully make the transition. Goff does. So does Wentz. But it’ll be easier for Goff because he has less things in his game that he’ll have to focus on refining.
Whether the QB is Goff or Wentz, I’m happy they took the chance to get one of those two guys. It makes me feel good about our chances and it gives me hope that this team has a bright future. This is a franchise defining pick. And I don’t think they can get it wrong. By god, that feels freaking great to me.
I think people underestimate how bad our QBs were last year. I’m never going to subscribe to the idea that the offense is just screwed because it’s Fisher. It’s unfortunate that we don’t have the same caliber of offensive minds that we do defensive minds (at least, that we know of yet). Because Gregg Williams is amazing at adjusting his system to the talent he has. But you put enough talent in any system and it will work. Upgrading from Foles/Keenum to a #1 overall pick will make a major difference. That’s a serious difference in talent. I really don’t understand the stance that (for instance) Drew Brees (or a Drew Brees like QB) would be elite under Sean Payton but somehow be terrible here.
I really hope people don’t believe that Fisher would have struggled sustaining success with guys like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, etc. Fisher has never sustained success with a pocket passer because his pocket passers have been guys like Billy Volek, Kerry Collins, Austin Davis, Shaun Hill, Injured Sam Bradford, Kellen Clemens, etc.
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On the frequent Wentz/Roethlisberger comparisons. Ben is such a unique player. He’s massive and very difficult to bring down. Wentz isn’t that big or strong in the pocket. Wentz isn’t a small guy but he doesn’t have Ben’s strength and tackle-breaking ability. Can’t really compare him based on that. Ben is just too unique. It would be like comparing a QB with good mobility to Mike Vick. Just can’t do that. Will take a really special player to get the Ben comparison. The guy in this class who breaks tackles like Ben is Jacoby Brissett but Brissett isn’t a consistent enough thrower or consistent enough mentally at this point to earn that comparison.
Bortles is a closer comparison but Bortles had such a great feel in the pocket and really good movement as a prospect. Wentz isn’t on his level in that regard. But at the same time Wentz has a lot in common with Palmer and Bortles. I’d say he’s a mix of both guys.
And, Wentz isn’t McNair either. McNair got scholarship offers from schools like Florida to play HB. Wentz isn’t that caliber of athlete. He’s not going to be running all over NFL defenses.
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