The NFL Combine and You
By Robert Mays

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/02/23/nfl-draft-combine-preview-carson-wentz-laquon-treadwell-robert-nkemdiche-noah-spence

As the NFL descends on Indianapolis for the annual draft combine, a look at five themes that come up every year and how they apply to the draft class of 2016

1. Who are these new head coaches and GMs?
The press conferences that (nearly) all the league’s general managers and head coaches are compelled to give in Indianapolis can somehow be both utterly fascinating and mindlessly boring—sometimes both at the same time. For the most recent hires, the combine podium is one of the first times they will speak publicly about their new teams since introductory press conferences (which rarely dig into details about offseason plans). On Wednesday, Adam Gase, Doug Pederson, Dirk Koetter and Ben McAdoo will all field questions from reporters—both onstage and off—in a setting they never have experienced before.
But even for coaches who have never had the top job, there’s not much anonymity at this point. (We’ve worried about Ben McAdoo’s barber choices for a while now.) With general managers, that familiarity doesn’t exist. When I went to the combine in 2014, Dave Gettleman was a 63-year-old second-year GM in Carolina. I wouldn’t have been able to pick him out of a lineup. But when the questions started, he was an engaging, (relatively) honest presence who was still in the throes of learning how to build a team. Arizona’s Steve Keim was also in year two, and he gave some insights on everything from his strategy for pursuing free agents to why he felt compelled to ride with Carson Palmer rather than reach for a quarterback with the 20th pick. In a day full of non-answers and monotonous repetition, there were still nuggets worth hearing from new voices.
This year features plenty of first-time general managers with compelling questions to answer. After 12 years in the scouting ranks for New England and two working with Jason Licht in Tampa Bay, Titans GM Jon Robinson has the No. 1 overall pick. Right behind Tennessee are the Browns, who, in January, handed the reins of their personnel department to 39-year-old Sashi Brown, a Harvard J.D. whose main role during his decade in Cleveland has been managing the salary cap and negotiating player contracts. The two couldn’t have more disparate backgrounds, but for the first time they’ll be on stage in front of the entire football world. And they’ll be discussing the first two picks of the NFL draft. Even if they say nothing of substance, the chance to put a name to a face and get a feel for these people is inherently interesting.

2. How will these (supposedly) meaningless drills affect draft boards?
Let’s skip the argument about whether combine numbers should impact where players are drafted. The reality is that, even if they shouldn’t, they do. And even with the notable exceptions trotted out every year around this time, they can be an indicator of future success. Aaron Donald’s testing numbers—1.59 in the 10-yard dash, a 4.68 40-yard dash at 285 pounds, and a 116-inch broad jump—were the stuff of science fiction. It turns out that Aaron Donald is pretty good. The same goes for Geno Atkins, who ran a 4.75 in the 40 and bested Donald’s jump by an inch.
Size concerns ultimately hurt them both come draft time, but there are plenty of players who destroy the combine and turn into superstars. For players who check the height and weight boxes, testing can mean making a significant push from where experts originally had them penciled. At 6-foot-1, 200-pounds, defensive back Byron Jones was missing from most first-round mock drafts pre-combine last year. After a world-record leap in the broad jump (147 inches; the event is not contested in high-level track and field these days) and a silly 44-inch vertical leap, Jones went 27th to the Cowboys. Breshad Perriman, who went one pick earlier to Baltimore, missed last year’s combine but had a similar rise after his pro day. At 6-foot-2, 212 pounds, Perriman ran an impossible 4.24 in the 40 and solidified his status as a first-round pick.
There will almost surely be 2016 versions of Jones and Perriman. On the opposite end of the spectrum, people wanting an answer to one popular question will have to wait a little while longer. Ole Miss receiver Laquon Treadwell, the 6-foot-2, 210-pounder thought by many to be the top pass catcher in the draft, won’t run the 40 in Indianapolis this week. Top-end speed is reportedly a concern for Treadwell, who announced yesterday that he just hadn’t spent enough time focusing on the sprint during his combine preparation. So it won’t be Treadwell, but there will be others at positions where speed is a necessity—running back, wide receiver, defensive back and pass rusher among them—who run a slow time and really bum out a scout who loved them on film. Timed runs are rarely the deciding factor for any player, but there are certain benchmarks prospects have to hit to have a shot at NFL productivity.

3. Will players with checkered pasts assuage some worries during the interview process?
Treadwell isn’t the only Ole Miss star that will have to do some convincing during this process. Defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche, once the top high school recruit in the country, should face plenty of questions about his fall from an Atlanta-area hotel in December and subsequent arrest for marijuana possession and suspension from the team’s bowl game.
These sorts of questions come up at the combine every year, and based on retellings from players, coaches often want to know every tiny detail of past transgressions. It can often be more of a lie-detector test than an information-gathering tool.
But by the time the combine actually comes around, teams have done their homework. The interviews are a way for teams to prod players in a manner that gives them a better understanding of the personalities they’re dealing with. Eastern Kentucky’s Noah Spence has been nothing but forthright about the extensive ecstasy use that eventually got him booted from Ohio State. The questions he’ll get from teams—and their psychologists—trying to decide whether he’s worth a top-15 pick will be aimed at learning why it happened at all.

4. What medical surprises will arise?
The combine’s original purpose might be its most boring element, but it has a very real impact. Pro football’s annual pilgrimage to Indy began as a way to centralize pre-draft medical testing, and those tests still affect where players are taken. Originally thought to be a first- or a second-round pick last year, Pitt offensive lineman T.J. Clemmings fell all the way to the 11th pick of the fourth round, in large part because of concerns over a stress fracture in his foot that was identified at the combine. Jay Ajayi, once considered one of the top running backs available in last year’s draft, fell all the way to the fifth round because of issues stemming from a knee surgery he had way back in 2011.
Players with recent injuries—two linebackers, UCLA’s Myles Jack and Notre Dame’s Jaylon Smith, among the most prominent—are the main health stories heading into the combine. But every year, less publicized issues creep up and send players tumbling down the draft. If a name player suddenly plummets, you can usually bet injuries are the reason, and many of those discoveries happen this week.

5. Who will continue riding the Senior Bowl wave?
One reason Spence is such an attractive option right now, despite his checkered past, is the show he put on all week during the Senior Bowl. From the start, Spence was reportedly the best edge rusher in Mobile, which lessened concerns that his dominance at Eastern Kentucky was a product of facing inferior talent.
That week in Mobile is the first chance for players to build a narrative as the draft process really gets going. Recent history is lined with players who rode a great showing at Senior Bowl practices to a higher-than-expected draft slot. Perhaps the best example is Eric Fisher, who came to Mobile in 2013 as the best offensive lineman from the MAC and ended up the No. 1 overall pick. Recent leaps haven’t been as drastic, but every year they happen. For instance, former Duke guard Laken Tomlinson performed well against top-end competition at the Senior Bowl (in his case, first-round pick Danny Shelton), aced the interviews and eventually went to Detroit in Round 1.
Spence has made his case, but the two most relevant names from Senior Bowl week are (shockingly) quarterbacks. North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz looked perfectly comfortable amid all the talent in Mobile; with decision makers feeling better about the level of competition, the nimbleness and arm that the 6-foot-5, 235-pound Wentz shows on tape look even better. The privilege of being the first quarterback taken—in all likelihood, the privilege of playing for the Cleveland Browns—is still up for debate, and with a great combine to go along with his Senior Bowl showing, Wentz has a chance to take the inside track. For Connor Cook, the opposite is true. Cook decided to sit out the Senior Bowl, only recently revealing that a lingering shoulder issue is what kept him on the shelf. As Wentz rides a stellar end of the season and spotless pre-draft showing into Indianapolis, Cook is already trying to sway the conversation back in his favor.

NFL Scouting Combine 2016: Who to watch at every position

By Vincent Bonsignore, Los Angeles Daily News

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20160222/nfl-scouting-combine-2016-who-to-watch-at-every-position

Call it the National Football League’s version of an annual job fair, but every February 300 or so of the top college football players in the country descend upon Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. This year’s combine begins on Wednesday.

What unfolds is a week-long job interview in which the players are tested, probed, evaluated, dissected and judged by all 32 NFL teams coaches, general managers, scouts and medical staffs

It’s an intense, thorough and relentless process that taps into players’ physical and mental make-ups, with their ability to run and jump and throw and catch as valuable as their capacity to connect, excel and demonstrate in classroom and interview settings.

For the top prospects in the country, it’s an opportunity to validate or refute positive or negative aspects of their scouting breakdowns, or to flash in a way that sends them surging up draft boards.

Although the high point for fans and scouts are the on-field drills – a series of universal agility tests applicable to all participants and drills specific to each player’s position – the behind-the-scenes interview sessions with each team can sometimes make or break a prospect in the eyes of certain clubs.

Here is a look at the top prospects to keep an eye on at each position over the next week and some of the key drills in which they’ll be evaluated.

QUARTERBACK

JARED GOFF, CALIFORNIA

Goff ended his career at Cal by setting Pac-12 conference records with 4,719 passing yards and 43 touchdowns during a stellar senior year. Having played almost exclusively in the shotgun, he needs to show he can adapt to the footwork of playing under center and also clean up mechanics that caused accuracy issues.

Carson Wentz, North Dakota State

Despite his small-school upbringing Wentz is surging up draft boards due to his prototypical size (6-5, 232), arm strength and passing-game aptitude. Has a chance to develop into a franchise quarterback. Long ball accuracy, polished footwork and adapting to the enhanced speed of the NFL game are concerns he can help alleviate in Indianapolis.

PAXTON LYNCH, MEMPHIS

More of a dual-threat quarterback than a conventional pocket passer, Lynch might need a year of grooming. But if a team is willing to be patient, the payoff is a ceiling is as high as any quarterback in the draft. Accuracy on the run was a problem, and needs to show improvement in that area this week.

RUNNING BACK

EZEKIEL ELLIOTT, OHIO STATE

Rushed for 1,821 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2015. A tremendous athlete, he won four Missouri state track and field titles in the 100 and 200 meters and the 110 high hurdles and 300 hurdles. Can really help himself this week with a positive showing in pass-catching drills.

DERRICK HENRY, ALABAMA

Won the Heisman Trophy last year while rushing for a national best 2,219 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns. A bit of a sluggish athlete, his footwork isn’t top end. Speed and agility tests could push him up or down the draft board.

DEVONTAE BOOKER, UTAH

Ran for 1,261 yards and 11 touchdowns in 10 games in 2015, but also had 80 receptions over his junior and senior years. Needs to show improved speed this week.

WIDE RECEIVER

LAQUON TREADWELL, MISSISSIPPI

Despite coming off a serious knee injury in 2015, Treadwell finished his senior year with 82 catches, 1,153 yards, and 11 scores and was as a Biletnikoff Award finalist,and first-team All-SEC selection. Not a speed guy by any means, so he can help himself considerably with a great 40 time.

COREY COLEMAN, BAYLOR

The Biletnikoff Award winner, Coleman caught 74 passes for 1,363 yards and led the country with 20 touchdown receptions in 2015. Dropped 10 passes a year ago, so his hands will be under a microscope at the combine.

MICHAEL THOMAS, OHIO STATE

Still a developing prospect, Thomas finished with 56 catches, 781 yards, and nine touchdowns last season. Footwork getting off the line of scrimmage and polished route running are areas scouts will be scrutinizing.

TIGHT END

AUSTIN HOOPER, STANFORD

An effective run blocker who can also line up wide, Hooper caught 34 passes for 438 yards and six touchdowns last year. Top-end athletic ability and quickness has been a concern, so a good agility showing will help.

HUNTER HENRY, ARKANSAS

A PREMIER, PHYSICAL, INTENSE RUN BLOCKER, HENRY IS NO SLOUCH IN THE PASS GAME AND FINISHED LAST SEASON WITH 51 CATCHES FOR 739 YARDS. NOT MUCH BY WAY OF WEAKNESSES, BUT DOES NEED TO SHARPEN HIS PASS ROUTES. JERRELL ADAMS, SOUTH CAROLINA

More of a pass-game threat then a sure blocker, Adams has enough athletic ability to be a down-field threat and finished with 28 catches for 421 yards and three touchdowns last year. Can really help himself by answering questions about his hands.

OFFENSIVE LINE

LAREMY TUNSIL MISSISSIPPI

Generally regarded as the top pick in the draft. His elite footwork, agility and athletic ability are reflective of a franchise altering left tackle. More of a finesse blocker than a pure power blocker, but whatever weaknesses he has are minimal at best. Merely needs to show a clean bill of health to solidify his spot atop the draft.

RONNIE STANLEY, NOTRE DAME

A technically sound pass blocker with a quality motor. Very well coached with great hands and awareness. Has prevailed with technique and acumen, but can really help himself by showing better core power.

JACK CONKLIN, MICHIGAN STATE

A polished, sound pass blocker who can also mix it up in the run game. Showed average foot speed, which could be an issue against top-end edge pass rushers. Can enhance his status with a solid athletic showing.

DEFENSIVE LINE

JOEY BOSA, DE, OHIO STATE

Among defensive lineman, has the best hand coordination and power combination in the draft. A relentless pass rusher and to-the-whistler player. Needs to show improved athletic ability, strength and technique.

DEFOREST BUCKNER, DE, OREGON

Long armed pass rusher who plays with great effort and is a surprisingly good run defender. His technique is still a work in progress, and needs to show he’s cleaned up that part of his game.

NOAH SPENCE, DE, EASTERN KENTUCKY

There is no questioning his on-field talent. He is an elite pass rusher who can create havoc. The issue is off the field, where two failed drug tests at Ohio State earned him a lifetime ban from the Big 10 and resulted in treatment for drug addition, He was also arrested in 2015 for alcohol intoxication and second­-degree disorderly conduct. Spence has owned up to his past issues, and had a great season in 2015 at Eastern Kentucky. He will be scrutinized this week about his past digressions and subsequent recovery, which by all measures has been a success.

SHAQ LAWSON, DE-OLB, CLEMSON

Played as a stand-up five technique defensive end last season, and some see him as an outside linebacker in the NFL. Consistently made plays behind the line of scrimmage while finishing with 25.5 tackles for losses and 12.5 sacks. Needs to show better athletic ability and endurance – the later of which was noticeable as games wore on.

ROBERT NKEMDICHE, DE, MISSISSIPPI

Looks the part of an NFL All-Pro, but it’s difficult getting past the lack of productivity as he produced just 6.5 sacks over three seasons. Needs to show better technique and position nuance. Scouts and coaches will want answers why the production never matched the obvious physical tools.

CHRIS JONES, DT, MISSISSIPPI STATE

Tremendously powerful interior player who can also create a formidable pass pocket push. Still a work in progress but his needle is pointed up. Endurance can be a problem, as is technique

LINEBACKER

JAYLON SMITH, NOTRE DAME

At 6-3, 245 pounds Smith was one of the elite prospects throughout the 2015 season but tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee during Notre Dame’s Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State. Smith won’t be available to do on-field activities, but teams will take a close look at the progress of his knee.

MYLES JACK, UCLA

As versatile, productive and dynamic a player in the country the last three years, a torn anterior meniscus knee injury ended his junior season after three games. Jack, who is ideally suited as an NFL weak inside backer, will be limited this week to the bench press testing, interviews and medical examinations as he isn’t yet cleared for full agility participation.

REGGIE RAGLAND, ALABAMA

Emerged as a run-stopping MLB while leading Alabama with with 97 tackles to earn EC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Speed and coverage skills will be under the microscope this week.

DARRON LEE, OHIO STATE

A fluid linebacker with tremendous instincts, Lee plays well in the run game and is an apt pass coverage defender. NFL scouts want him to bulk up and add strength, as his ability to stand up and withstand the pro game is a question.

CORNERBACKS

JALEN RAMSEY, FLORIDA STATE

A world-class athlete with the necessary size, strength and savvy to completely disrupt an opponent’s passing game. Needs to show better footwork, as NFL teams will make him prove he can match up to quicker receivers.

VERNON HARGREAVES, FLORIDA A SMOOTH, ATHLETIC, INSTINCTIVE CORNERBACK WHO AMASSED 38 PASSES DEFENSED AND 10 INTERCEPTIONS OVER LAST THREE YEARS. ALTHOUGH NO ONE QUESTIONS HIS COMPETITIVENESS, HIS CLOSING SPEED WASN’T IDEAL SO A GOOD 40 TIME CAN SEND HIM SOARING UP THE DRAFT BOARD.

MACKENSIE ALEXANDER, CLEMSON

A lock down cornerback at Clemson who teams rarely challenged, Alexander is a film room junkie and a mentally sound and apt corner. His mental acumen hides average footwork and technique – an area scouts will be scrutinizing this week.

SAFETY

KARL JOSEPH, WEST VIRGINIA

A devastating knee injury suffered during practice at West Virginia last year cut short a terrific season, but Joseph is regarded as the top safety in the draft class. A clean medical report will determine just how high he goes in the draft.

VONN BELL, OHIO STATE

An instinctive player in the pass game who shows great feel for the game at free safety. His speed didn’t always show up on the field, but he can dispel some of those concerns this week with a good workout.

DARIEN THOMPSON, BOISE STATE

A big, physical, productive ball-hawker who is also an intimidating player on the back end of a defense. However, instincts, awareness and technique were lacking and it’s an area scouts will scrutinize this week.

DRILLS

• 40-yard dash Over the years – and for better or worse – the 40-yard dash has grown into the signature event at the NFL scouting combine, providing a glimpse at players explosion from a set position and straight ahead speed while being timed at 10, 20 and 40-yard intervals. With so much of football played in short spaces, the 10-yard interval readings are more applicable for some positions compared to others. Nevertheless, a player’s stock can soar or fall based on the final numbers.

BEST MARK: (electrical timing didn’t begin until 1999) 4.24 Chris Johnson, RB, East Carolina 2008

• Vertical jump From a flat-footed stance, players explode upward and reach as high as possible to measure his vertical jump. The objective is to assess a player’s lower-body power through his explosion out of a stance. Any mark in the 40 inch range is considered top-end athleticism.

BEST MARK: 46.0 Gerald Sensabaugh, S, North Carolina 2005

• Bench press This is all about strength and endurance as players bench press 225 pounds as many times as possible. Somewhat flawed as it’s suited better for shorter-armed players than longer armed, it does offer insight into a players strength and conditioning.

BEST MARK: 51 Justin Ernest, E. Kentucky DT 1999

• Broad jump From a set position, the player explodes forward as far as possible. The key is sticking the landing without moving or falling. The objective is assessing a players balance and lower-body power. A jump of 10 feet is considered top-end athleticism

BEST MARK: 12-3 Byron Jones, Connecticut, CB 2016

•3-cone drill With three cones set up as an L, the player sprints five yards to the first cone and then back before turning back to the second cone, curling around the third cone and then back around the second before finishing. The objective is to test a players ability to reach peak speed then change direction and get back to peak speed as quickly as possible. Scouts put a high emphasis on this drill as it emulates movement and body positioning applicable of football. Any mark under seven seconds represents great agility.

Best Mark: 6.42 Jeff Maehl, Oregon WR 2011

• Shuttle run Staring from a three-point stance, the player maneuvers five yards to his right and touches a line then pushes 10 yards to his left and touches a line before pivoting and maneuvering five yards back to his right. The objective is to assess short-area explosion, lateral quickness and change of direction. Scouts consider four seconds the optimal mark high-end agility.

Best Mark: 3.73 Kevin Kasper, Iowa WR 2001

Transition tag continues to make little sense

Mike Florio

Transition tag continues to make little sense

In the years before the transition tag did not become fully guaranteed upon signing, it made some sense to use it. And multiple teams did. Since the transition tag became fully guaranteed as part of the 2006 CBA extension, it has been used more sparingly.

The reason is simple. To use the transition tag, a significant investment on a one-year guaranteed deal is required, and if the player signs an offer sheet elsewhere that isn’t matched, there’s no compensation. By kicking in a little more on a one-year deal, the current team gets two first-round picks if the player leaves — which means for most players that he won’t be leaving.

But teams still use it, even though the end result in recent years hasn’t been great. When the Browns applied it to center Alex Mack, Mack finagled an offer sheet from the Jaguars with a provision allowing him to void the deal after two years. Now, two years later, the Browns have to worry about whether Mack will leave, along with what it may take to keep him to stay.

Last year, the Dolphins used the transition tag on tight end Charles Clay, who was gobbled up by a division rival with an offer sheet Miami wouldn’t match.

In both cases, another million or two on a one-year franchise tender would have kept that from happening.

So why do teams keep using the transition tag? Some may be doing it just to see what the player’s value is, knowing that if it’s too high they’ll let him walk. Others possibly don’t want the franchise tender to lay the foundation for a long-term deal.

Regardless, if anyone gets the transition tag this year (the Rams have leaked that they’re considering it with cornerback Trumaine Johnson), there’s no reason to think the outcome will be any different than what has happened the last two years. Either Johnson will get an offer sheet the Rams can’t or won’t match, or he’ll get an offer sheet with a legitimate poison pill embedded in it.

Whatever happens, don’t expect Johnson to adopt the same approach as former Steelers tackle Max Starks. When Pittsburgh applied the transition tag to Starks in 2008 — and once he realized the salary became fully guaranteed when the tender is accepted — Starks signed it. Johnson, per a league source, won’t be signing the transition tender, if it’s applied. Instead, he’ll be doing exactly what Mack did in 2014 and what Clay did in 2015: Looking aggressively for an offer from another team.

Consensus Big Board

http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/cfb/60543/325/consensus-big-board-10

I’ll be tossing these up every few weeks on Mondays, so check back over the next month-plus to see how the Consensus Big Board fluctuates with the ebbs and flows of the process. For reference’s sake, I’ve averaged out the boards of Pro Football Focus (February 17), ESPN’s Todd McShay (February 18), CBS Sports’ Rob Rang (February 17) and Rotoworld’s Josh Norris (February 19). You can check out Josh’s full Big Board here.

****
1. Ohio State DE Joey Bosa, 6-foot-5, 275 pounds
Highest- Of our four Big Boards in question, every one other than Norris placed Bosa at No. 1.

Lowest- Norris dropped him all the way to No. 2.

2. Ole Miss T Laremy Tunsil, 6-foot-5, 305 pounds
Highest- Rang slots Tunsil in at No. 2 while McShay ranks him at No. 3.

Lowest- PFF’s analysis team and Josh Norris are less frisky on him, with PFF ranking him No. 5 and Norris No. 7.

3.FSU CB/S Jalen Ramsey, 6-foot-1, 202 pounds
Highest- McShay’s super-duper impressed, placing Ramsey at No. 2. Rang’s right behind him with Ramsey as his third best prospect in this class.

Lowest- PFF and Norris fall in lockstep here, more or less, with Norris placing Ramsey at No. 6 and PFF waiting until No. 7 to spring his name.

4. UCLA LB Myles Jack, 6-foot-1, 222 pounds
Highest- Norris’ No. 1 prospect. Rang’s next up at No.4, with PFF at No. 5.

Lowest- Hit the road, Jack. McShay ranks the UCLA standout at No. 11.

5. Oregon DE DeForest Buckner, 6-foot-7, 290 pounds
Highest- Buckner’s had himself a nice week of Internet chatter in the draft community, with both ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein hopping the Duck terror over Buckeye Bosa in mock drafts. PFF’s first Big Board similarly pushed Buckner’s name to the forefront, ranking him at No. 2 behind Bosa. Check back in a few weeks to see if there’s tangible upward movement on the Big Boards.

Lowest- Norris doesn’t let Buckner crash the party until No. 12. Rang and McShay find a middle ground between the sky-high ranking by PFF and the less chipper ranking of Norris, slotting him at No. 7 and No. 6, respectively.

6. Notre Dame OT Ronnie Stanley, 6-foot-6, 315 pounds
Highest- Rang (6), Norris (8) and McShay (5) all more or less see Stanley in the same range.

Lowest- PFF, however, doesn’t unveil Stanley until No. 16.

7. Cal QB Jared Goff, 6-foot-4, 215 pounds
Highest- The writers at PFF think highly of both Goff and NDSU’s Carson Wentz, placing the Cal gunslinger at No. 3. While not quite as high on him, McShay (9) and Rang (10) see Goff similarly.

Lowest- Norris doesn’t see a franchise quarterback in the 2016 pool, placing Goff onto his Big Board at No. 23.

8. North Dakota State QB Carson Wentz, 6-foot-5, 231 pounds
Highest- PFF places Wentz just behind Goff at No. 4. McShay’s got him at No. 8.

Lowest- Rang (11) and Norris (24) are more conservative in their rankings of the Bison product. A few fun (?) quarterback notes: All four analysts placed Goff and Wentz next to each other. Three of them ranked Goff a spot above Wentz, while McShay quietly shuffled Wentz ahead. Neither Rang nor PFF have another quarterback cracking the top-32.

9. Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott, 6-foot, 225 pounds
Highest- You won’t have to scroll long on Josh Norris’ rankings to find Elliott. Zeke turns up at No. 3 on his Big Board.

Lowest- Nobody else in our quartet is tossing Elliott up quite that high. Rang’s next at No. 9, while McShay (15) and PFF (21) aren’t as keen to place a running back in the single digits of their big boards.

10. Louisville DT Sheldon Rankins, 6-foot-2, 304 pounds
Highest- McShay includes the Cardinals’ stud at No. 7 on his board, while PFF and Norris are similarly high, with both outfitting Rankins at No. 9.

Lowest- Rob Rang’s far more cautious here, waiting until No. 24 to unveil Rankins.

11. Florida CB Vernon Hargreaves IIII, 5-foot-11, 198 pounds
Highest- McShay at No. 4. No other analyst ranks him in the top-10.

Lowest- Everybody who isn’t McShay. Technically, PFF’s lowest with Hargreaves at No. 19, but Rang (13) and Norris (16) aren’t far off from their analysis team.

12. Clemson DE Shaq Lawson, 6-foot-3, 275 pounds
Highest- CBS Sports’ Rang by a fair margin with Lawson at No. 5. PFF comes next placing the Clemson star at No. 11.

Lowest- Rotoworld’s Josh Norris ranks Lawson at No. 17 while McShay rounds out the bunch with a Lawson sighting at No. 21.

13. Ole Miss WR Laquon Treadwell, 6-foot-2, 212 pounds
Highest- Rotoworld’s Norris puts the Ole Miss beast at No. 5, while Rob Rang also keeps him in single-digits at No. 8.

Lowest- Not tossing Treadwell into single-digits, McShay (17). Almost leaving him off the top-32 entirely, PFF (26).

14. Ole Miss DT Robert Nkemdiche, 6-foot-4, 296 pounds
Highest- Lock your windows, all four of our analysts rank Nkemdiche in the teens. Norris (13) and Rang (15) lead the parade.

Lowest- PFF (18) and McShay (19) are seeing eye-to-eye on the riddle wrapped in an enigma that is Mr. Nkemdiche.

15. Notre Dame OLB Jaylon Smith, 6-foot-3, 235 pounds
Highest- Norris and McShay find common ground with Smith at No. 14

Lowest- PFF waits until No. 21 to offer Smith forward, while Rang waves him in at No. 19.

16. Eastern Kentucky Edge Noah Spence, 6-foot-3, 254 pounds
Highest- Norris turns in the former Buckeye at No. 10, while PFF’s team checks him in at No. 12.

Lowest- Rang hits up Spence at No. 16. That’s lower than PFF and Norris, but Todd McShay takes the cake by putting the edge rusher at No. 32.

17. Baylor WR Corey Coleman, 5-10, 190 pounds
Highest- Rotoworld’s Norris thinks the world of Coleman and ranks him as his No. 4 overall prospect. PFF’s team of analysts aren’t far behind at No. 10

Lowest- McShay keeps the all-universe Baylor star out of his top-32, while he barely nudges into Rang’s rankings at No. 29.

18. Baylor DT Andrew Billings, 6-foot-1, 300 pounds
Highest- Norris checks Billings in just shy of his top-10 at No. 11.

Lowest- The rest of our fair analysts place him 20 or higher, with Rang putting down the former Bear at No. 20, followed by both PFF and McShay at No. 24.

19. Clemson CB Mackenzie Alexander, 5-foot-10, 195 pounds
Highest- Rang and PFF both offer Alexander forward at No. 14.

Lowest- McShay unleashes the Tiger at No. 26, while Norris waits until No. 32 to open the door.

20. Alabama DL Jarran Reed 6-foot-3, 313 pounds
Highest- CBS Sports analyst Rang has him scraping the top-10 at No. 12. McShay isn’t far behind, tossing the champ in at No. 16.

Lowest- Norris and PFF are decidedly lower here, with Reed at No. 29 on Norris’ Big Board. PFF fells him all the way to No. 36.

21. Alabama DT A’Shawn Robinson 6-foot-3, 312 pounds
Highest- McShay’s ranking of Robinson at No. 12 and Rang’s at 17 aren’t just a little higher than those of PFF and Norris. They’re flying so high above that they can’t even see the other rankings.

Lowest- PFF not only keeps Robinson out of their top-32, they don’t have him in their top-40. Neither does Norris for that matter, as you’ll find the former Tide star at No. 42 on his Big Board.

22. Michigan State OT Jack Conklin, 6-foot-6, 318 pounds
Highest- McShay includes Conklin at No. 13. PFF has him slightly lower at No. 17.

Lowest- While Rang’s ranking of 26 for Conklin is relatively low, Norris bests (worsts?) that by placing the Spartan warrior down at 52.

23. Ohio State OLB Darron Lee, 6-foot-1, 234 pounds
Highest – Rotoworld’s Norris turns to Lee at No. 19, while McShay and Rang wait a few more slots until No. 25.

Lowest- PFF doesn’t include the former Buckeye in their top-40.

24. TCU WR Josh Doctson, 6-foot-4, 190 pounds
Highest- Norris is most bullish on Doctson, placing him at No. 20. PFF follows at No. 25.

Lowest- McShay and Rang do not include the former Horned Frog on their boards.

25. Ohio State OT Taylor Decker, 6-foot-7, 317 pounds
Highest- McShay and Rang are within shouting distance here, as the former ranks Decker No. 22 while the latter boosts him a spot at No. 21.

Lowest- PFF doesn’t rank the Ohio State lineman in their top-40, while Norris has him ranked 36th.

26. Alabama ILB Reggie Ragland, 6-2, 259 pounds
Highest- McShay’s by far the highest on Ragland of our bunch, ranking him as the No. 10 prospect in this draft pool.

Lowest- Norris doesn’t drop Ragland in until No. 40, with Rang (32) and PFF (30) slightly higher on the Tide leader.

27. Kansas State OG Cody Whitehair, 6-foot-4, 309 pounds
Highest- Norris is the first on the scene with Whitehair at No. 21. PFF follows a few slots later at No. 27.

Lowest- No such dice for the offensive lineman on either McShay or Rang’s boards. Neither analyst tosses him into the fray for this round.

28. Georgia OLB Leonard Floyd, 6-foot-3, 232 pounds
Highest- Norris and Rang meet at No. 22 with Floyd.

Lowest- McShay and PFF, not so hot. McShay ranks the former Bulldog at No. 29, while PFF omits him from their top-40 completely.

29. Louisiana Tech DT Vernon Butler, 6-foot-4, 325 pounds
Highest- Norris is the only one to place Butler within his top-20, lining him up at No. 18.

Lowest- McShay places Butler at No. 28, Rang at No. 31. He doesn’t make the cut for PFF.

30. Florida DE Jonathan Bullard, 6-foot-3, 283 pounds
Highest- Rang (27) and PFF (29) buoy Bullard in our consensus.

Lowest- The Florida product fails to crack either Todd McShay’s or Josh Norris’ top-32, though Norris has him just outside that at No. 33.

31. UCLA DT Kenny Clark, 6-foot-3, 308 pounds
Highest- Rang and Norris both rank Clark within the top-32, with Rang slotting the Bruin slightly higher 23 to 31.

Lowest- PFF has him near the bottom of their top-40 at No. 37. McShay does not include Clark on his 32-man big board.

32. Memphis QB Paxton Lynch, 6-foot-6, 225 pounds
Highest- Norris slots Lynch in just after Goff and Wentz at No. 25. McShay sees the situation likewise and places the gunslinger at No. 27.

Lowest- Lynch just makes the cut in PFF’s top-40, falling into line at No. 39. Rang leaves him out of the party altogether.

Escape From the Echo Chamber
10 takeaways from St. Louis’ stadium debacle

Ray Hartmann

http://www.stlmag.com/news/think-again/escape-from-the-echo-chamber/

There’s a lesson to be learned from having the Rams and NFL bolt from St. Louis, and it has nothing to do with football or sports fans or mean billionaires or the worth of our city.

It’s about the perils of an echo chamber.

For several years—and especially the past one—local politicians, business leaders, and the media talked themselves into fantasyland over the prospect of preventing Rams owner Stan Kroenke from moving his team back to Los Angeles. False hopes and assumptions reverberated. Foolish nonsense became conventional wisdom.

If you drank the Kool-Aid, you were righteous and honorable and loyal to your hometown. Unlimited public money was no object. And you hung on every encouraging word as if it had appeared on a stone tablet. Conversely, if you noticed objective realities or questioned priorities of the echo chamber, you were anti-St. Louis, anti-progress, or worse.

So St. Louis wasted more than $16 million and a staggering amount of civic time and energy chasing a hopeless dream with a stadium plan that ultimately seemed held together by chewing gum and baling wire. And in retrospect, we wound up groveling at the feet of a contemptible cartel of billionaire sports monopolists.

We never had a chance to keep the Rams here, at least not after Kroenke bought full control of the team in 2010 and decided to follow an easy path to free agency for his franchise. Once he made that decision, there was no question as to whether he was going. It was only a matter of where and when.

If you think that’s wrong, work backward from the result. If Kroenke—whose lust for money is doubted by no one—was ultimately willing to take a $2 billion gamble on Los Angeles, what possible deal or proposal could have ever been counteroffered by any market less than one-fourth L.A.’s size to dissuade him?

There’s no need for hindsight or second-guessing. St. Louis’ goose was cooked from the beginning. Ironically, that should provide local comfort, because the loss of the Rams was not a reflection on St. Louis at all. We didn’t fail. We were simply struck by a perfect storm. In fact, let’s make that Item No. 1 in a list of “10 Takeaways That St. Louis Finally Needs to Understand”:

1. St. Louis was struck by a perfect storm. The Rams fell into the hands of one of the wealthiest men on the planet. He had no ties or loyalty to St. Louis, arguably the NFL’s least-favorite city. He saw an opportunity to make billions as a developer by moving to L.A. He owned that city’s favorite NFL team, one that had played there for 49 years. He had no contract binding him to St. Louis. He had NFL executives in his hip pocket. He wasn’t sentimental. And he was driven. This was out of St. Louis’ hands from the beginning, a point made in this very space four years ago this month.

2. The sad ending of St. Louis’ Rams saga can be traced to its desperate beginning. In 1995, St. Louis had a state-of-the-art NFL stadium under construction with no NFL team to put in it. The L.A. Rams were the only team that could be considered a good prospect for a move here at that time, and they had a number of other options, including L.A. We went to them; they didn’t come to us. We had zero leverage and paid a dear price in lease negotiations. Try as the city might, St. Louis couldn’t get the Rams to make a 30-year commitment to stay here. Effectively, the two sides signed a 20-year lease 20 years ago.

3. It was game over when St. Louis had no choice but to default on this lease in 2013. Herein lies the most misunderstood aspect of the saga. St. Louis would’ve had to unearth $700 million to assure just 10 more years of NFL football as a result of the dreaded clause requiring it to keep the stadium up to “first tier” NFL standards. But this wasn’t some fine print sneaked into the lease, nor was it the result of stupidity on the part of our negotiators. This was simply the agreed-upon mechanism for giving the Rams an escape clause if they needed it (which, in fairness, no one foresaw in 1995). When three arbitration judges gave the Rams an easy victory in a court battle over what “first tier” meant (the team’s first shutout in years), Kroenke’s free agency became a formality.

4. St. Louis should never have underestimated that the arbitration award was a thing of beauty to Kroenke and his fellow NFL cartel members. The most preposterous idea resonating in the echo chamber was that somehow Kroenke could be persuaded to give up this ticket to freedom, toss in $250 million for a new St. Louis stadium that he hadn’t asked for (as opposed to the zero he owed for a first-tier stadium under the award), and forfeit his free agency by signing a 30-year deal to play in it (presuming he was blocked in moving to L.A). Under the lease, he had nine one-year options to continue playing in the dome—for the cheapest rent in the NFL—all the while maintaining his freedom to move to a more lucrative venue. So even if Kroenke had been forced to stay awhile in St. Louis, there was no chance that his Rams would ever play a single down in a new stadium here.

5. St. Louis also had to know that the NFL was never going to allow its “relocation guidelines” to create the Church of the Second Chance. Again, the echo chamber filled with crazy noise, suggesting that the NFL would tell Kroenke that even if St. Louis had defaulted on giving him a “first tier” stadium—at zero cost to him and the league—its “guidelines” meant he’d have to give us another chance. Instead of spending zero, the Rams and NFL would spend $550 million. And St. Louis would have its obligation cut in half. Seriously? Bottom line: There was no way the league would set the precedent of allowing a city to use its relocation guidelines to back out of an unfavorable lease.

6. The NFL owners aren’t your student council. Collectively, these people have a long history of not caring about brain damage to their players. Did you really think they cared if one of their cartel members broke our hearts, especially because we’re from St. Louis, a city that they’d voted against as an NFL market on four occasions in a seven-year period (and since we’d broken hearts in L.A. 20 years earlier)? So when our mayor says that we were “duped” into thinking that the league cared about being fair to St. Louis, well, now that is sad.

7. As much as we want to turn the page, it’s still worth asking: What did St. Louis politicians and other stadium backers know, and when did they know it? They had to realize early on that their stadium plan was a nonstarter for Kroenke and his Rams, even as they continued to raise fans’ hopes to the contrary. In retrospect, they seem to have had no basis to support their private assertions that we might get a team on the rebound if Kroenke left. Yet they went forward, spending $16 million in public funds—with little or no bidding or scrutiny—through the murky St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority. We’ll likely never know the full story of who got paid.

8. We in St. Louis might want a new definition of what’s meant by “we in St. Louis.” If there was one common theme insisted upon by Gov. Jay Nixon, Mayor Francis Slay, and the “task force” of Dave Peacock and Bob Blitz, it was this: Public processes and votes needed to be avoided at all cost. This was the opposite of an exercise in democracy. It’s a little hard to square that with rhetoric about how “St. Louis” had come together as one to offer hundreds of millions in public largesse to the almighty lords of the NFL.

9. The St. Louis media performed about as well here as the Rams did on the field. It’s one thing to get behind the stadium editorially. But Peacock and Blitz—two guys reverently labeled from the beginning as “the task force”—might as well have been covering themselves. Your canary in the coal mine: Near the end, after NFL officials publicly questioned the legitimacy of the stadium numbers, the “$1 billion project” became the “$1.1 billion project” overnight in St. Louis media, without as much as a story noting the increase. No reporter appears to have even asked for an explanation of the $100 million explosion in costs, much less reported it as news. And few of the obvious points referenced above ever found their way into the news coverage of the stadium issue over the period of a year.

10. Let’s not make these mistakes again. We need a little self-esteem here. The most important takeaway is that St. Louis has nothing to hang its head about with regard to the NFL leaving again. It will have no long-term effect on the economy. Many non-NFL cities have fared better than many NFL cities (including St. Louis) in recent decades. This is still a great sports city, and more important, for my money at least, it’s a better place to live and raise a family than Los Angeles. So there. Let’s get over it. And stay out of echo chambers.

Gravitational Waves: 6 Cosmic Questions They Can Tackle

The discovery of ripples in spacetime will vindicate Einstein—but it can also do so much more

By Davide Castelvecchi

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/gravitational-waves-6-cosmic-questions-they-can-tackle/

When LIGO fought to get US government funding in the early 1990s, its major opponents at congressional hearings were astronomers. “The general view was that LIGO didn’t have much to do with astronomy,” says Clifford Will, a general-relativity theorist at the University of Florida in Gainesville and an early LIGO supporter. But things have changed now, he says.
Welcome to the field of gravitational-wave astronomy: we take a look at the questions and phenomena that it can explore.

DO BLACK HOLES ACTUALLY EXIST?

The signal that LIGO is expected to announce on Thursday is rumoured to have been produced by two merging black holes. Such events are the most energetic known; the power of the gravitational waves that they emit can briefly rival that of all the stars in the observable Universe combined.Black-hole mergers are also among the cleanest gravitational-wave signals to interpret.

A black-hole merger occurs when two black holes start to spiral towards each other, radiating energy as gravitational waves. These waves should have a characteristic sound called a chirp, which can be used to measure the masses of the two objects. Next, the black holes actually fuse. “It’s as if you get two soap bubbles so close that they form one bubble. Initially, the bigger bubble is deformed,” says Thibault Damour, a gravity theorist at the Institute of Advanced Scientific Studies near Paris. The resulting single black hole will settle into a perfectly spherical shape, but first it is predicted to radiate gravitational waves in a pattern called a ringdown.

One of the most important scientific consequences of detecting a black-hole merger would be confirmation that black holes really do exist—at least as the perfectly round objects made of pure, empty, warped space-time that are predicted by general relativity. Another would be that mergers proceed as predicted. Astronomers already have plenty of circumstantial evidence for these phenomena, but so far that has come from observations of the stars and super-heated gas that orbit black holes, not of black holes themselves.
“The scientific community, including myself, has become very blasé about black holes. We have taken them for granted,” says Frans Pretorius, a specialist in general-relativity simulations at Princeton University in New Jersey. “But if you think of what an astonishing prediction it is, we really need astonishing evidence.”

DO GRAVITATIONAL WAVES TRAVEL AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT?

When scientists start to compare observations from LIGO with those from other types of telescope, one of the first things that they will check is whether the signals arrive at the same time. Physicists hypothesize that gravity is transmitted by particles called gravitons, the gravitational analogue of photons. If, like photons, these particles have no mass, then gravitational waves would travel at the speed of light, matching the prediction of the speed of gravitational waves in classical general relativity. (Their speed can be affected by the accelerating expansion of the Universe, but that should manifest only over distances much greater than LIGO can probe).

But it is possible that gravitons have a slight mass, which would mean that gravitational waves would travel at less than the speed of light. So if, say, LIGO and Virgo were to detect gravitational waves from a cosmic event, and find that the waves took slightly longer to arrive at Earth than the associated burst of γ-rays detected by a more conventional telescope, that could have momentous consequences for fundamental physics.

IS SPACE-TIME MADE OF COSMIC STRINGS?

An even weirder discovery would occur if bursts of gravitational waves were detected coming from ‘cosmic strings’. These hypothetical defects in the curvature of space-time, which may or may not be related to string theory, would be infinitesimally thin but would stretch across cosmic distances. Researchers have predicted that cosmic strings, if they exist, might occasionally develop kinks; if a string snapped, it would suddenly release a burst of gravitational waves, which detectors such as LIGO and Virgo could measure.

ARE NEUTRON STARS RUGGED?

Neutron stars are the remnants of bigger stars that collapsed under their own weight, becoming so dense that they pushed their constituent electrons and protons to fuse into neutrons. Their extreme physics is poorly understood, but gravitational waves could provide unique insights. For example, the intense gravity at their surface tends to make neutron stars almost perfectly spherical. But some researchers have theorized that there could still be ‘mountains’—at most a few millimetres high—that make these dense objects, themselves about 10 kilometres in diameter, slightly asymmetrical. Neutron stars usually spin very rapidly, so the asymmetric distribution of mass would deform space-time and produce a continuous gravitational-wave signal in the shape of a sine wave, which would radiate energy and slow down the star’s spin.

Pairs of neutron stars that orbit each other would also produce a continuous signal. Just like black holes, the stars would spiral into each other and eventually merge, sometimes producing an audible chirp. But their final instants would differ dramatically from those of black holes. “You have a zoo of possibilities, depending on masses and how much pressure neutron-dense matter can exert,” says Pretorius. For example, the resulting merged star could be a huge neutron star, or it could immediately collapse and turn into a black hole.

WHAT MAKES STARS EXPLODE?

Black holes and neutron stars form when massive stars stop shining and collapse in on themselves. Astrophysicists think that this process is what powers a common type of supernova explosion, known as Type II. Simulations of such supernovae have not yet clearly explained what ignites them, but listening to the gravitational-wave bursts that real supernova are expected to produce could help to provide an answer. Depending on what the bursts’ waveforms look like, how loud the bursts are, how frequent they are and how they correlate with the supernovae as seen with electromagnetic telescopes, the data could help to validate or discard various, existing models.

HOW FAST IS THE UNIVERSE EXPANDING?

The expansion of the Universe means that distant objects that are receding from our Galaxy look redder than they really are, because the light that they emit stretches as it travels. Cosmologists estimate the rate of the Universe’s expansion by comparing this redshift of galaxies with how far the galaxies are from us. But that distance is usually gauged from the brightness of ‘Type Ia’ supernovae—a technique that leaves large uncertainties.

If several gravitational-wave detectors across the world detect signals from the same neutron-star merger, together they will be able to provide an estimate of the absolute loudness of the signal, which will reveal how far away the merger occurred. They will also be able to estimate the direction it came from; astronomers could then deduce which galaxy hosted the merger. Comparing that galaxy’s redshift with the distance of the merger as measured by the loudness of the gravitational waves could provide an independent estimate of the rate of cosmic expansion, possibly more accurate than current methods.

Mack & Ag.

I moved your posts to this thread, cause of “fit”:

QBs in the draft thread 2: http://theramshuddle.com/topic/qbs-in-the-draft-thread-2/

Figuring out Sean Mannion’s fit for Rams in 2016

Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/27003/figuring-out-sean-mannions-fit-for-rams-in-2016

EARTH CITY, Mo. — The offseason is here for the Los Angeles Rams and now that we know where they’ll be playing their home games for the long-term, things have settled down enough to spend our weekends answering a few of your Twitter questions.

As always, you can find me on Twitter @nwagoner and fire away with any Rams-related questions you might have. Please use hashtag #RamsMail so I can see them.

On to your questions.

Seger Mounce ‎@ciggyyy
Q: Is Mannion going to remain depth this year, or do you think he has any chance at starting or possibly being the backup?

@nwagoner: At this point, it feels like a long shot that he’d be a contender to win the starting job. Rams coach Jeff Fisher has been clear that Case Keenum is the preferred starter of the three quarterbacks on the roster right now. That doesn’t mean a whole lot for when the season rolls around but it speaks to how the team sees the in house options. Now, if the Rams go out and add another quarterback either through the draft or free agency, that could change. But for Sean Mannion, the more likely scenario is that he comes back as the No. 3 and perhaps gets a chance to push for the No. 2 job depending on who the Rams might add from the outside. For example, if they go the draft route and it’s not a first-round pick, they might feel more comfortable with Mannion as the No. 2 and whatever rookie they bring in stepping into the third spot. The Rams still like Mannion and think he has potential but they want to see him speed up his delivery and improve his decision making moving forward. If he can do that, it’s not out of the question that he could push for the backup job in training camp.

Warren ‎@Warrenwaddles
Q: think it’d be better to sign @RGIII & try him for a yr before drafting a qb so this yr? Draft a wr and d guys instead?

@nwagoner: I plan to delve further into a topic related to this after talking to some general managers and coaches next week but I think there’s a bigger issue facing the Rams here than just choosing whether to sign Robert Griffin III. The Rams are in a position where they need both a short and long term option at quarterback. In a perfect world, they can get both in one player. But the world isn’t perfect, especially when it comes to quarterbacks. This year’s draft doesn’t seem flush with top quarterback options and certainly doesn’t have enough that the Rams would get one with the No. 15 overall pick. Meanwhile, the free-agent market isn’t likely to provide guaranteed upgrades, either. So the Rams have to go about this in a way where they are probably only going to be able to add one option: the short-term one or the long-term one. For their purposes, it stands to reason that the short-term one is more important right now. This is a regime that needs to win and win now. So, to me, it makes more sense to try to find someone in free agency who can come in and get the job done in 2016 rather than drafting one at No. 15 or later and hoping he can be the answer down the road. I think the Rams will look at RG3 just like they’ll look at all of the options available. But I could certainly understand going with him versus going for a rookie who has never played and might not be able to start right away anyway. Especially if it meant adding some weapons at receiver and bolstering other areas of the team to put whoever they might add in the best position to succeed.

canadaram wrote:

Westbrooks seemed spend more time on the interior DL in 2015 than he did as a rookie. At least that’s how it seemed to me, maybe I’m wrong about that. Anyway, I wonder if he will be given an opportunity to be a a fixture at LE now.

I think they just moved him there (to the interior) to fill a role. That means Hayes played less on the interior. Meanwhile they had 2 left DEs in Long and Hayes.

IMO moving W to the inside for 2015 doesn’t tell us how they can or will use him in the future. I just think that was 2015 and the way the needs shaped up then.

NFLDraftScout.com

2016 NFL Combine: Here are seven must-know underrated prospects

Rob Rang | The Sports Xchange/CBSSports.com

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/25488032/underrated-nfl-prospects-to-know-before-next-weeks-combine

Evaluating NFL prospects is a year-round undertaking, beginning with a first look at the next class of top projected talent before the wake of a completed NFL Draft has even fully settled.

The process continues through the college football season and countless hours of film review leading into the all-star game circuit. Now 332 of the top prospects in the 2016 NFL Draft class are prepping for their biggest job interview — next week’s scouting combine.

Below are some players who made a strong impression during this year’s pre-combine film study grind — including several under-the-radar prospects who I had previously underrated.

Clicking on the player name will take you to a full profile, which includes a brief overview of the prospect’s career along with specific strengths and weaknesses.

Players are listed alphabetically.

Kamalei Correa, OLB/DE, Boise State: Given that he recorded 19 sacks over the past two seasons, Mountain West fans certainly know Correa but most of the country won’t learn his name (pronounced KAH-muh-lay / corr-AY-uh) until after the combine, where the 6-foot-3, 245-pounder will create buzz with his athleticism.

Keyarris Garrett, WR, Tulsa: Like Correa, Garrett’s athleticism matches eye-popping production, with the 6-3, 223-pounder simply dominating the American Athletic Conference with his height, speed and body control to the tune of an NCAA-best 1,588 receiving yards in 2015.

Xavien Howard, CB, Baylor: The focus on any Art Briles-coached team is going to be on offense, but don’t sleep on the rangy and athletic Howard, a classic press corner I expect to be the Bears’ highest-drafted defensive back since the Baltimore Ravens selected Gary Baxter 62nd overall 15 years ago.

The athletic Howard is strong in press coverage and shows good range. (USATSI)
Joe Schobert, OLB, Wisconsin: It will be interesting to see how well the 6-2, 247-pound Schobert performs during the combine, but I really liked him on tape. Instinctive and slippery, he has a knack for slipping blocks and ripping the ball free.

Pearce Slater, OT, San Diego State: An immediate standout after signing as a JUCO transfer two years ago, the 6-7, 342-pound Slater is the earth-mover his size indicates, while also showing surprising coordination to block on the move.
NFLDraftScout.com

2016 NFL Combine: Here are seven must-know underrated prospects

Rob Rang | The Sports Xchange/CBSSports.com

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/25488032/underrated-nfl-prospects-to-know-before-next-weeks-combine

Evaluating NFL prospects is a year-round undertaking, beginning with a first look at the next class of top projected talent before the wake of a completed NFL Draft has even fully settled.

The process continues through the college football season and countless hours of film review leading into the all-star game circuit. Now 332 of the top prospects in the 2016 NFL Draft class are prepping for their biggest job interview — next week’s scouting combine.

Below are some players who made a strong impression during this year’s pre-combine film study grind — including several under-the-radar prospects who I had previously underrated.

Clicking on the player name will take you to a full profile, which includes a brief overview of the prospect’s career along with specific strengths and weaknesses.

Players are listed alphabetically.

Kamalei Correa, OLB/DE, Boise State: Given that he recorded 19 sacks over the past two seasons, Mountain West fans certainly know Correa but most of the country won’t learn his name (pronounced KAH-muh-lay / corr-AY-uh) until after the combine, where the 6-foot-3, 245-pounder will create buzz with his athleticism.

Keyarris Garrett, WR, Tulsa: Like Correa, Garrett’s athleticism matches eye-popping production, with the 6-3, 223-pounder simply dominating the American Athletic Conference with his height, speed and body control to the tune of an NCAA-best 1,588 receiving yards in 2015.

Xavien Howard, CB, Baylor: The focus on any Art Briles-coached team is going to be on offense, but don’t sleep on the rangy and athletic Howard, a classic press corner I expect to be the Bears’ highest-drafted defensive back since the Baltimore Ravens selected Gary Baxter 62nd overall 15 years ago.

The athletic Howard is strong in press coverage and shows good range. (USATSI)
Joe Schobert, OLB, Wisconsin: It will be interesting to see how well the 6-2, 247-pound Schobert performs during the combine, but I really liked him on tape. Instinctive and slippery, he has a knack for slipping blocks and ripping the ball free.

Pearce Slater, OT, San Diego State: An immediate standout after signing as a JUCO transfer two years ago, the 6-7, 342-pound Slater is the earth-mover his size indicates, while also showing surprising coordination to block on the move.

Clint Van Horn, OT, Marshall: While perhaps not athletic enough to remain outside at right tackle (where he started the past three seasons for the Herd), Van Horn, a former walk-on, has the size (6-5, 310 pounds), strength and brawler mentality to project nicely inside at guard.

D.J. White, CB, Georgia Tech: I’m a sucker for players who perform their best under the bright lights, and that kind of poise is exactly what White demonstrated over his career. White may lack ideal size at a shade under 5-11, 189 pounds, but his awareness, competitiveness and knack for producing turnovers project well to the next level.
Clint Van Horn, OT, Marshall: While perhaps not athletic enough to remain outside at right tackle (where he started the past three seasons for the Herd), Van Horn, a former walk-on, has the size (6-5, 310 pounds), strength and brawler mentality to project nicely inside at guard.

D.J. White, CB, Georgia Tech: I’m a sucker for players who perform their best under the bright lights, and that kind of poise is exactly what White demonstrated over his career. White may lack ideal size at a shade under 5-11, 189 pounds, but his awareness, competitiveness and knack for producing turnovers project well to the next level.

sdram wrote:

I did a cut and paste for the offensive guys –

Wow, well done, thanks.

.

Rams CEO Kevin Demoff updates free agency, move to Los Angeles

Vincent Bonsignore

link: http://www.insidesocal.com/nfl/2016/02/20/rams-ceo-kevin-demoff-updates-free-agency-move-to-los-angeles/

I got the chance to talk to Los Angeles Rams President and CEO Kevin Demoff on my radio show on The Beast 980 Friday. Demoff touched on a number of subjects, including having to release popular players like James Laurinaitis and Chris Long, the status of contract negotiations with unrestricted free agent cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson and the daunting process of moving an entire franchise across the country.

Here is a transcript:

IT HAD TO BE DIFFICULT TO RELEASE LB JAMES LAURINAITIS, DE CHRIS LONG AND TE JARED COOK

It’s a tough day. I feel like, it’s one of those, we’ve used the word bittersweet over the last month, but anytime you lose the type of players and people we lost today or move on from them it is truly bittersweet. It’s exciting times, but it’s a tough day for the Rams.

ARE THESE MOVES JUST THE TYPICAL ATTRITION OF AN NFL OFFSEASON AS IT RELATES TO THE SALARY CAP AND FREE AGENCY?

I think it’s a cliche to say this is what happens every offseason, but it is. You take a look at your team, you take a look at your growth plan, where you’re at, where your players are at and who fits the scheme of what you’re trying to do. We weren’t entirely positive moving forward on the best fits for these guys, and when you head into the combine, and with everything going on with the change in our offseason, we didn’t want people to move their families, come out here and maybe go into camp on uncertain footing. We wanted to provide them clarity. Especially guys like John and Chris, who have been the longest tenured players on our team. They deserved the clarity, they deserved the chance to go into free agency and be free agents and not have it dangled. We felt it was best to give them that news and clarity now and that was the best way to handle it.

IS THERE A CHANCE ANY OF THE THREE CAN COME BACK TO THE RAMS?

I think there is a scenario in which any of these players can come back. And one of the reasons we wanted to do this was give them the chance to go to Indianapolis and see what the market is for them and understand their options. And at the end, if there is a deal that works out for them and for us, that door is never closed. When (head coach) Jeff (Fisher) and (general manager) Les (Snead) and I talked to them today, we all wished them well and we would never close the door on that as a potential option. But when you make these kinds of moves it’s always with the understanding it’s likely the players won’t come back by their choice or by our choice. Could we bring them back? Sure. But rather than talk to them about a pay cut, it’s better for them to see the market and understand the market, and then if they want to come back we can revisit those discussions at a later time.

ANY UPDATE ON CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS WITH CORNERBACKS JANORIS JENKINS AND TRUMAINE JOHNSON?

When you get to this point in the season everybody always wants to peek into free agency, they at least want to peek into the legal tampering period and see what somebody else may be offering and where it stands. We’ve been talking to Janoris and Trumaine for over a year and we’ve been close to deals at times and we’ve been far apart on deals at times. It’s a process. I think the great part is, they both love playing for coach Fisher, they’re excited about the move to Los Angeles, they want to be part of this, and when you add in a Rodney McLeod, our starting safety, they all want to be back together and help this team breakthrough.

I think with all of our free agents that’s one of the things that gives us great comfort. They all love playing for coach Fisher, they love being a part of our organization. All of them are homegrown, for the most part, and they believe in what we’re doing. Now, things get crazy when free agency starts, people throw money around, but we’ve always planned for this offseason having a lot of salary cap space and having a lot of cash available to make sure we can keep that core. But I also look at it as having good free agents you want to keep means that Jeff and Les and our scouts have done their job and developed this roster.

HOW DIFFICULT IS THE BALANCING ACT PREPARING FOR NEXT SEASON BUT ALSO MOVING A FRANCHISE?

I have bigger plates, that’s all I can say. We’re now in the buffet line and you take it all on. Some of it, it’s great to have days like next week. We always said (before approval for relocation) ‘the combine is in Indianapolis, then free agency starts right after that, the draft is going to be April 28th, and whether we’re the Los Angeles Rams or not we have the 15th pick and we have to go prepare for the football season. Right now our coaches are hard at work, working on the schemes, especially offensively with (new assistants) Rob Boras, Mike Groh, Skip Peete working on how to fix our offense. And I think Gregg Williams – and a lot of what we see today – Gregg Williams and Jeff Fisher and the defensive coaches sitting down figuring out what we did well, what we need to do better and making sure our personnel fits that. So from a football perspective, it’s no different than any offseason. From a business perspective, it’s obviously very different as we try to set up a home in Los Angeles. When you try to merge those things – and you can give clarity to coaches and staff and players like we did today – I think it’s better to do it sooner rather than later.

WITH THE MOVE TO L.A. IS THERE ADDED PRESSURE THIS OFFSEASON TO PUT A WINNING TEAM ON THE FIELD?

More pressure than St. Louis? No. You always want to put out a winner. But I think, obviously, you’re under a microscope from a whole different segment. In St. Louis you had a fanbase, they knew your players, they knew your team and they followed it forever. I think people’s first look – and one of the things in Los Angeles, you have a lot of people who might be Steelers fans or Browns fans or Giants fans growing up. All of a sudden they’re new (Rams fans) and they want to believe in your team but they want to get behind a winner. Certainly for us, we have to find a way to break through. We’ve been at the cusp. But we need to make sure we develop a winner. That’s true every year. But I think you’d be naive to think it doesn’t play a bigger role this year than it has past years. Not that your try more or you care any more, but I do think the microscope and the spotlight are on our organization in a way it has not been the last few years.

ANY UPDATE ON HEADQUARTERS AND TRAINING CAMP SITES?

We’re still looking, we’re close. But it’s like free agency, nothing is final until you sign the contract. I think we’ve made progress. We are looking mainly at Oxnard for the offseason workouts, it’s a turn key facility with what the Cowboys have done up there. From there – the Cowboys will be coming back in July – we need to find a new training camp home and we’ve talked to a number of different universities about that opportunity.

We’re looking for what I call permanent/temporary space all around Los Angeles, with a focus on the (San Fernando) Valley area, and trying to get a handle on what that might look like and where that might be. And from there, where can your get office space. And of course, finding the permanent practice facility is an on-going process which will probably take most of 2016, is my guess. But hopefully by March 1st we’ll have nailed down most of this.