Forum Replies Created
-
AuthorPosts
-
znModeratorMayock: Cowboys, Browns, Chargers could strike for QB in draft
By Chase Goodbread
Video at the Link..
The situations are different, but the compelling need could be the same.
And with quarterback being the most important position on the field, the timing could be right for the Cleveland Browns, San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys to invest a high first-round draft choice in the position, according to NFL Media draft expert Mike Mayock.
“If you’re looking for a quarterback in that top 10, (picks) two, three and four have got to be locked in,” Mayock said on Saturday during the NFL Network’s broadcast of the Reese’s Senior Bowl. “Two with Cleveland, three with San Diego. Philip Rivers is one of my favorites of all-time, but remember they took Rivers when they had (Drew) Brees. And No. 4, Dallas has got to be looking, also.”
The Browns, of course, have continuously misfired drafting quarterbacks for decades, and new coach Hue Jackson could be looking to correct that just two years after the club chose troubled, high-maintenance quarterback Johnny Manziel in the first round. While the Browns are looking to fill a gaping void, the Cowboys and Chargers would merely be looking to soften the eventual departures of the aging Rivers and, for the Cowboys, Tony Romo.
“I look at Dallas at No. 4 and as much you love Tony Romo, three years in a row he’s not been able to play 16 games,” Mayock said. “He’s 36 years old. At what point — you’re not going to be drafting that high again — at what point do you pull the trigger? San Diego, same thing. Cleveland’s got to get a quarterback. Philadelphia’s sitting there at (pick) No. 13 saying ‘My guy might not get to me anymore.'”
Whether any quarterback in the 2016 NFL Draft merits a top-five pick is a slightly different question.
NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah rates North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz as the top quarterback in the draft, and the No. 7 overall prospect. He did nothing to worsen that standing during Senior Bowl week. Cal’s Jared Goff and Memphis’ Paxton Lynch are also strong first-round possibilities at the position.
“There aren’t 12 franchise quarterbacks in the whole league,” Mayock said. “If you can draft one, you have to.”
And the sooner, the better.
znModeratorThere appears to be twice as many draftable QBs this year than last year. That makes a lot of choices possible. I think it is most likely that the Rams will draft Cook at 15.
I don’t know about Cook at this point, but, the fact that this is a deep though not top-heavy qb draft is interesting.
znModeratorI moved the post-game qb discussions from this thread to the new “qbs in the draft” thread:
znModeratorWe could start a new one periodically. After the Senior Bowl, Feb QBs, etc. Some of the old stuff gets out of date.
I’ll start it now.
February 1, 2016 at 10:52 am in reply to: simulator decides: 99 Rams were best superbowl team of all #38465znModeratorNot if he had Aquaman on his side which, as most military historians agree, he would have.
Okay so you win this round, Nittany Ram.
But the game is far from over.
.
znModeratorHow you wanta do this Ag?
Keep running this thread, or start a new “qb draft” thread and link this one in it?
This one will get big, not that it matters. Up to you.
February 1, 2016 at 10:19 am in reply to: simulator decides: 99 Rams were best superbowl team of all #38462znModeratorIn addition, the 5th Panzer division coached by Vermeil would’ve beaten the 3rd Army coached by Patton at Bastogne.
However, if Vermeil coached the japanese fleet at Midway, they still would have lost.
So don’t overdo it.
znModeratorPro Bowl Wired: Todd Gurley
Go inside the conversations at Pro Bowl practice with running back Todd Gurley mic’d up.
http://www.therams.com/videos/videos/Pro-Bowl-Wired-Todd-Gurley/d8394abf-47bb-4a63-9f68-801fc72bdbc4
—
Sunglasses Cam: Hekker at the Pro Bowl(02:35)
Watch Pro Bowl practice through the eyes of punter Johnny Hekker and his sunglasses.
February 1, 2016 at 9:32 am in reply to: simulator decides: 99 Rams were best superbowl team of all #38457znModeratorI dunno. I think what made 99 better was that Vermeil was running it not Martz. That will be controversial, but it’s what I think.
znModeratorAlso Gurley scored a TD on a redzone pass.
znModerator—
Team Irvin routs Team Rice at Pro Bowl behind Russell Wilson’s 3 TDsHONOLULU — With no trip to the Super Bowl for the Seattle Seahawks this season, their stars came to play — and dominate — at the Pro Bowl.
Russell Wilson threw three first-half touchdown passes to lead Team Irvin to a 49-27 victory over Team Rice on Sunday and earn offensive MVP honors at Aloha Stadium. Wilson’s Seattle teammate Michael Bennett was the defensive MVP, after recording the game’s only sack and deflecting a pass.
“To see us Seahawks out there is a real special thing,” Wilson said. “It’s a testament to our hard work, and to see two Seahawks out there as MVPs is really cool.”
The Seahawks quarterback, who was the first player picked in the all-star game’s draft, went 8-of-12 for 164 yards. He led scoring drives on three of Team Irvin’s first four possessions.
Wilson threw touchdown passes of 14 and 2 yards to Atlanta Falcons Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman, respectively, in the opening quarter. Early in the second quarter, Wilson connected with Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley for a 10-yard score.
Seahawks QB Russell Wilson was selected as the Pro Bowl’s offensive MVP, while teammate Michael Bennett earned defensive MVP honors after recording the game’s only sack and deflecting a pass. Kent Nishimura/Getty Images
The teams were drafted and captained by Hall of Fame wide receivers Michael Irvin and Jerry Rice. Winston Moss, Green Bay’s assistant head coach and linebackers coach, filled in for the ill Mike McCarthy and coached Team Irvin. Kansas City’s Andy Reid led Team Rice.A record 47 players declined to participate in this year’s Pro Bowl, either due to injury or for personal reasons, or couldn’t play because their teams are in the Super Bowl. Carolina had 10 players selected, including quarterback Cam Newton, while Denver had four, including defensive stars Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware.
Wilson was the lone quarterback originally selected to participate in the game.
“Any time you have the opportunity to play the great game of football, you take advantage of the opportunity,” Wilson said. “Playing in the Pro Bowl is a special thing because to be able to see all the amazing players across the league, who are the best players in the world, and to be able to play on one field together is a really, really cool thing.”
Bennett was busy on defense but played one snap at quarterback late in the game and picked up 7 yards on a rush. The 6-foot-4, 274-pound defensive end said it was his first experience under center in his career.
“Only in my dreams,” Bennett said with a laugh.
Two other Seahawks players mixed it up midway through the third quarter, when Team Irvin’s Richard Sherman — a cornerback — was dropped for a 22-yard loss on a reverse by Team Rice linebacker Bobby Wagner.
“He said that he knew what he was going to do,” Sherman said. “He knew I was getting the ball, and he knew he was making the tackle.”
Minnesota’s Teddy Bridgewater and Tampa Bay’s Jameis Winston each added two TD passes for Team Irvin. Jacksonville’s Allen Robinson, Tennessee’s Delanie Walker, Philadelphia’s Darren Sproles and Houston’s DeAndre Hopkins had scoring receptions.
Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce caught two scoring passes for Team Rice. Miami’s Jarvis Landry also had a TD catch, and Tampa Bay’s Doug Martin ran for a score.
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie of the New York Giants had two of Team Irvin’s six interceptions.
After Kelce’s 4-yard reception from Manning gave Team Rice a 7-0 lead, Jones tip-toed along the left sideline after hauling in Wilson’s pass near the back corner of the end zone for a 14-yard score.
Kelce caught the second of his two TDs on a 10-yard pass from Oakland’s Derek Carr to cut Team Rice’s deficit to 21-14. The Chiefs star, who signed a five-year, $46 million contract extension on Friday, finished with a game-high five catches for 91 yards.
Team Irvin added a score late in the second quarter on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Bridgewater to Sproles to hold a 28-14 lead after two quarters.
“To see us Seahawks out there is a real special thing. It’s a testament to our hard work, and to see two Seahawks out there as MVPs is really cool.”
The halftime festivities included a parade of local high school football players. Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota, a Honolulu native, led his alma mater, Saint Louis School, onto the field during the procession and was greeted by loud cheers from the sellout crowd of 50,000.
It was the 35th time since 1980 that the NFL’s annual all-star game was played at Aloha Stadium, and it was the third consecutive season that it has used an “unconferenced” format.
Last year, the game was played in Glendale, Arizona. The site of next year’s Pro Bowl has not yet been determined by the NFL. Returning to Hawaii is an option.
Martin helped Team Rice cut the deficit to 28-21 with a 3-yard run early in the third quarter. But Team Irvin put the game away with three straight TDs: a 50-yard catch by Robinson from Bridgewater, a 53-yard reception by Walker from Winston and a 7-yarder by Hopkins, also thrown by Winston.
Landry caught a 31-yard TD pass from Buffalo’s Tyrod Taylor with 6:05 remaining in the game. Taylor was intercepted three times overall.
Cincinnati tight end Tyler Eifert appeared to injure his foot while diving for a pass for Team Irvin.
It was the final game of Oakland safety Charles Woodson’s 18-year career. He was escorted off the field by his two young sons, to rousing cheers from the fans who remained.
“I really got all the emotions out of the way a few weeks back, but this one is just the icing on the cake for me to be able to make the Pro Bowl, be able to bring my family over here and hang out in Hawaii,” Woodson said. “It’s been great.”
znModeratorLOOK: Rams punter burns Richard Sherman on fake punt
Will Brinson
The Pro Bowl is a time for shenanigans, tomfoolery and hijinks. Also, fake punts.
Good on Rams punter Johnny Hekker for getting to deliver in crunch time with a beauty of a fake punt. Hekker’s known as somewhat of an accurate marksman in the NFL, and he didn’t disappoint on Sunday night with his throwing arm.
And because you’re allowed to tweet from the sidelines of the Pro Bowl, Hekker was able to fire out a little trash talk in the direction of Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, who was in coverage on the play.
A sick burn made even sicker by the fact that Hekker nearly got his clock cleaned by some Seahawks defenders earlier in the year after engaging in an ill-advised, near-physical battle with Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett.
Also of note here? Hekker threw the fake punt to Seahawks wideout Tyler Lockett and after it, as you can see in the photo above, he stiffs Falcons wideout Julio Jones on a high five and then does the “too cool for school” swipe past his ear.
znModeratorFrom just the little bit I’ve seen, I would say Allen looks more pro ready than Prescott. The hands thing doesn’t bother me.
…
znModeratorWell I finally got to watch Dak Prescott in the Senior Bowl.
He looked good. I liked it.
I can see why Rams fans here and there like him.
.,
But actually……having watched more of the game……I liked this guy better.
===
Arkansas’ Brandon Allen Worth Investing in at the Senior Bowl Despite Hand Size
Eric Galko
Arkansas' Brandon Allen Worth Investing in at the Senior Bowl Despite Hand Size
The 2016 Senior Bowl, in all of its fanfare, is an amazing and complicated resource for NFL scouts to evaluate prospects. As is true throughout the process, evaluating quarterbacks is especially unique, where every measurable is thoroughly discussed, and every throw is heavily scrutinized.
For Brandon Allen, the NFL draft process is still in its infancy. But after just a few short days in Mobile, Alabama, NFL teams have already learned so much about the Arkansas quarterback, both good and bad.
After starting 37 of Arkansas’s last 38 games and finishing his senior season with a 30-touchdown and eight-interception performance, Allen’s college career can be looked back on with optimism for an NFL future.
A strong-armed passer who helmed an offense that worked through its running game, play-action passing and utilizing his tight end (Hunter Henry) and running back (Alex Collins) in the passing game, Allen’s college film offers plenty for NFL teams to extract NFL readiness and tools to further develop at the pro level.
But scouting quarterbacks for many NFL evaluators start off as a meeting of thresholds. Across the NFL scouting industry, there are a handful of key measurable minimums that prospects need to meet to prevent size from harming their draft value. For quarterbacks, there are two key numbers: height, in which 6’2″ is generally the preferred minimum and hand size, in which 9 ½” is the general threshold.
Arkansas’s Brandon Allen didn’t meet either one of those thresholds at the 2016 Senior Bowl weigh-ins. Allen measured in at 6’1 ½” tall, the second-shortest quarterback in Mobile, and with 8 ½-inch hands, he was the smallest of any passer in the three major all-star games.
Hand size has become a buzzword in the scouting industry, especially each year around Senior Bowl week. And while college team fans and supporters of a prospect’s college career will try to dismiss it, hand size can be a key indicator of a quarterback’s ability to gather the ball off the snap quickly, control it throughout their release and possess overall ball security at a position that touches the ball on each and every play.
For Brandon Allen, it’ll be a question he’ll have to answer to NFL teams throughout the process, and even then, it might not be enough to quell concerns from decision-makers when it comes time to finalize their draft boards.
But on film, Allen’s hand size is simply not a problem. Allen received his fair share of quick snap-to-throw situations, spun a consistently tight pass with ample velocity and didn’t have fumble issues at Arkansas. Allen seems ready to prove to NFL teams that his hand size won’t be an issue.
“I’ve never had a problem during my college career,” Allen stated in an interview during the Senior Bowl’s annual Media Night. “I think part of that is my baseball background. Growing up, I always worked on grip strength for both baseball and football. I’ve never had an issue with fumbling or anything throughout my career, and I think I can actually throw tighter passes and control the ball better than most quarterbacks with bigger hands here [at the Senior Bowl].”
Based off just a day of practice, Allen appears to be living up to that. On a South roster that features North Carolina State’s Jacoby Brissett, Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott and Alabama’s Jacob Coker, Allen clearly displayed the most velocity of any of the quarterbacks. He spun the most consistently tight passes and finished quick throws with plus placement and control throughout practice.
While developing chemistry with receivers in a few snaps is next to impossible, Allen seemed to be the most comfortable of the four passers in anticipating route breaks and delivering high-velocity yet catchable passes to his weeklong teammates.
Building off a successful first day, Allen should continue to impress as the week progresses. Along with having the best velocity of the group, Allen appears to be the most natural passer of the group, adjusting his mechanics for different types of throws and working off the move effectively. He does possess a slightly sidearm release from the pocket, something scouts will have to determine if that’s a detriment at all or, more importantly, if he uses that to better control the ball in his release.
Like in college, Allen should display efficiency in his placement on interior and quicker outside throws, while really taking advantage in team drills and on game day with vertically stretching opportunities. He’ll be one of the favorites to finish the Senior Bowl as game MVP, especially considering how quickly he’s become comfortable with the receivers on the South roster.
Height and hand size will be the two-buzzword phrases that Allen will be battling for the next three-and-a-half months. And to make matters worse, there aren’t a whole lot of quarterbacks with smaller hands who haven’t had fumbling problems to some extent in the NFL.
But in today’s NFL, quarterbacks who have ample velocity and can step in early in their career and play efficiently have become highly valued. Unlike quarterbacks such as Dak Prescott and Jacoby Brissett, Allen doesn’t need more time to develop before an NFL team can feel comfortable throwing him into the fire.
Allen’s NFL readiness is a huge plus in a draft class in which most of the top passers appear to need a full year before any team can genuinely trust them to lead its offense.
Brandon Allen didn’t meet the measurable thresholds that NFL teams covet, but in a quarterback-driven league where adequacy at the position has begun to grow few and far between, Allen can provide that and more. His performance as a passer during the process, at the NFL Scouting Combine and in film reviews for NFL teams should build toward a mid-round draft selection.
Compared to some of the other quarterbacks in Mobile, Allen is playing a bit of catch-up, recouping his draft value on the field rather than the measuring stick. It only takes one NFL team to overlook measurable numbers and give Allen a chance to be his team’s key backup quarterback and allow him to develop.
A strong Senior Bowl performance could do wonders to ease decision-makers’ concerns moving forward and land him as an early to mid-round drafted quarterback.
znModeratorWell I finally got to watch Dak Prescott in the Senior Bowl.
He looked good. I liked it.
I can see why Rams fans here and there like him.
.,
znModeratorI’ll be fine if they keep either, and they both have minor character “flags,” but I covet Johnson’s size (ha!) and think he is more scheme independent. How about you?
I favor Johnson for pretty much the same reasons.
Not that JJ will be easy to replace, but, these guys seem to find corners.
znModeratorHowever, they both blossomed this year and had great contract years, and both will make a lot of money this Spring one way or the other.
Which one do you personally prefer?
.
znModeratorWhy Trumaine Johnson should be re-signed over Janoris Jenkins
Matthew Luhmann
Los Angeles Rams: Why Trumaine Johnson should be re-signed over Janoris Jenkins
A big decision needs to be made this offseason. The Rams free agent class is headlined by their two best corners this past season. Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson both had stellar seasons, but both of them will be demanding quite a bit of money for their services. Most likely, Les Snead will only be able to keep one, but which one should it be?
The Jack Rabbit (Jenkins’s nickname) is coming off of one of his best seasons in the NFL. After having some head shaking 2014 moments, including getting burnt by Brandon Lloyd for 80 yards before halftime against the 49ers, Jenkins improved his coverage abilities. A career high 15 pass deflections, triple from his total in 2014, and three interceptions helped to increase his value.
One major flaw in Jenkins’s game is his tackling ability, especially in the open field. Since Jenkins is not a big corner, he does not try and tackle upright in the way a linebacker would. Instead, Jenkins dives for the legs of players, which makes him more prone to whiffing and turning a one yard gain into a ten yard gain. Aside from the occasional coverage blunder, Jenkins improved his game tremendously in 2015.
Tru (Johnson’s nickname) had an amazing 2015 which many Rams fans thought was Pro Bowl worthy, but alas, the voters thought otherwise. For the season, Johnson had 7 interceptions to go along with 58 tackles. That was in 14 games after a season in which he only played in 9 and had 3 interceptions.
In terms of physicality, Johnson has the advantage over Jenkins, as he does not go for the legs to tackle all the time. Another important note is that against the Lions, Johnson went toe-to-toe with Calvin Johnson. For the game Johnson only had one catch, which came in the fourth quarter, for sixteen yards.
Factor in the 17 pass deflections and Johnson looks like the better option over Jenkins. Both will be demanding a good chunk of money no doubt, but how much money exactly will they want. However, Jenkins has shown the ability to be a number one corner in the past, as in 2012 and 2013 he had a combined 28 pass deflections to go along with 5 interceptions (3 returned for touchdowns).
Surely Les Snead does not want to exhaust all of his cap space on Jenkins and Johnson, but there are other players who could either take a pay cut or be cut altogether to make room for them both. I will touch on that in a future article, but if you had to choose one, who would you re-sign? If it were me, I would go with Johnson because of his physicality and he looked very good in coverage and did not have a lot of bad plays
znModeratorThis is a good year to add a QB. This is a good year to add WRs and you can find help at TE. imo
From what I read, though, you can’t count on a rookie starter from this year’s crop. Which btw is fine. Let them have 4 qbs. (Keenum, Foles [hoping to recover his game], Mannion, Rookie To Be Named Later). Though that’s not serious…it will be 3. Reports we’re getting say that Mannion and Foles will compete for a roster spot.
…
znModeratorDenver Broncos wary of Carolina Panthers’ knack for fast starts
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/nfl/carolina-panthers/article57555288.html
RICK BONNELL
There seems to be a real concern among the Denver Broncos that it’s imperative they win the first quarter of Super Bowl 50.
The Broncos are very aware of the Carolina Panthers’ fast starts in this post-season. Quarterback Peyton Manning joked this week that the Panthers tend to score before the guy singing the national anthem is off the field.
Coach Gary Kubiak was asked about that Friday.
“They’ve jumped out on a lot of teams this year. They’ve played ahead,” Kubiak said.
“They’ve won turnover battles, the field-position battles. To win 17 games in this league, you’ve got to be doing a lot of things right, but that is something that’s a big factor—they’ve played very well early in games. Every time you cut the film on, the end of the first quarter, it’s 14-0 or it’s 17-3. So, yeah they’ve gotten off to some fast starts. It’ll be important that we play well early.”
Inclusion: Kubiak is bringing everyone on his squad – including players on injured reserve – to the Bay Area Sunday. Two years ago then-Broncos coach John Fox didn’t bring injured players to the Super Bowl until the Thursday before the game.
Broncos linebacker Von Miller, who was injured two years ago, sees this as a better course.
“Leaving on Thursday, the end of the week, everything is already done with and over with,” Miller recalled. “I’m a team guy. I like being around my guys. So it was tough (two years ago}. That process being without my teammates and them being there and me being here probably was the toughest thing out of everything.”
Why not dance: Miller finds it absurd that Panthers quarterback Cam Newton draws criticism for how he celebrates.
“I mean, what, dancing after making big plays? I mean, I do the same thing,” Miller said. “If I was a quarterback, I’d probably be doing the exact same thing that he’s doing.”
Family legacy: What would the NFL be without a Colquitt special-teamer? Craig Colquitt won two Super Bowl rings with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now one of his sons, Britton, can win a ring as the Broncos’ punter. Another son, Dustin, punts for the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I feel extremely blessed just to be in the NFL,” Britton Colquitt said Friday. “I feel lucky and blessed and I think about this when I play Dustin — how many brothers are in the NFL? How many get to play each other twice a year? When you go to the Super Bowl, I think to go once is amazing. So many people don’t even make it to the playoffs very often.”
znModeratorExamining best way to improve Rams’ quarterback situation
Nick Wagoner
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.
Mike Mulia @MikeMulia1
@nwagoner What do you think is the best/most realistic way the Rams can “fix” their QB situation? The draft, free agency, trade? #RamsMail@nwagoner: You phrased this question well, Mike. Because if we are looking at it realistically, the best way to fix the quarterback situation isn’t necessarily going to guarantee improvement. Looking at the draft, there are some intriguing prospects such as Cal’s Jared Goff, Memphis’ Paxton Lynch and North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz, but the early indication is that none of them are guaranteed to come in and have success in Year 1. And that’s even assuming the Rams would have the chance to draft one of them with their No. 15 overall pick. The trade market probably won’t offer much since teams are never in a mood to trade good quarterbacks. Which leaves us with free agency, the area the Rams might have to explore the deepest to try to find a solution. The problem, again, is that if a team has a good quarterback, it probably isn’t going to let him leave. Some of the names that could hit the market include Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brock Osweiler, Matt Cassel, Kirk Cousins, Chase Daniel and Sam Bradford. Of that group, it’s unlikely Fitzpatrick, Osweiler, Cousins or Bradford will get the chance to explore the market, though it’s possible one or two could shake loose. It’s also possible players such as Robert Griffin III and/or Johnny Manziel could become available, and it’s fair to expect the Rams to take a long look at them if they do.
The other part of the equation for the Rams is that they have three quarterbacks on the roster in Case Keenum (who will likely be retained as a restricted free agent), Nick Foles and Sean Mannion. Logic says Foles is the one that would have to go to make room for a new addition but to do that, the Rams have to be certain they have an upgrade. There’s no obvious solution here unless the Rams want to make a bold move via trade and even then, it would be a roll of the dice. It wouldn’t surprise if Keenum ends up as the starter again when all is said and done.
Blaine Grisak @bxgrisak1993
@nwagoner do you think the Rams would have interest in a QB at 15 if Goff or Lynch were available?@nwagoner: We’ll go ahead and just make this the quarterback mailbag for this week. It’s too early to have a read on who they might or might not covet, but there have been indications from the team that they’ll explore any and all options to improve their short- and long-term situation at the position. That would presumably include taking a quarterback with the 15th pick. As I mentioned above, depending on who you talk to, it doesn’t seem like there’s a signal-caller in this draft who can come in and star right away. That also doesn’t mean a guy such as Goff, Lynch or Wentz wouldn’t be an improvement over what the Rams currently have. That’s something they’d have to weigh in the evaluation because, let’s be honest, if those guys were legitimate franchise quarterbacks they’d be gone before No. 15. That doesn’t mean they can’t become one, just that it’s unusual (though not impossible) for that type of guy to go at that point. There’s a long way to go before the draft so we’ll get a better idea of how the league views this crop of quarterbacks in the coming months.
znModeratorNFLDraftScout.com
Noah Spence and the DL talent shines at the Senior Bowl: 10 things to knowBy Dane Brugler | NFLDraftScout.com Senior Analyst
For scouts and evaluators, the Senior Bowl is more about the practices during the week, but the actual game does have value as players perform in live action. And just like all week in practice, the story of the 2016 Senior Bowl game was the dominant defensive lines as the South defeated the North, 27-10, at Ladd Peebles Stadium on Saturday.
Eastern Kentucky defensive end Noah Spence entered the week as the top prospect in Mobile, and he’ll leave with that same distinction. Standing up off the edge, he showed a variety of rush moves due to his natural athleticism, beating the North offensive tackles with speed around the corner and quickness inside.
Spence used his natural acceleration and contact balance against Indiana left tackle Jason Spriggs, shaving the corner with momentum and finishing at the quarterback. Right tackles Kyle Murphy (Stanford) and Cole Toner (Harvard) were no match for Spence’s agility and burst off the snap as the EKU rush end used space to easily cut inside and infiltrate the pocket.
Spence is inconsistent against the run and needs hand refinement, but rushing the passer is his bread and butter, and what makes him one of the top defensive prospects in the 2016 draft class. Obviously his off-field situation will be the determining factor to where he is ultimately drafted, but Spence solidified himself as a top-10 talent.
While Spence was the clear-cut best edge rusher during Senior Bowl practices and the game, the top interior defensive lineman is a race too close to call. The defensive tackle position is the deepest on the Senior Bowl roster and the draft overall, and several stood out during the game.
Louisiana Tech defensive tackle Vernon Butler made his presence known during practice but saved his best for the game. He showed off his fluid lower body and powerful upper half in unison, peppering blockers with his 34 1/8-inch arms. Butler has a draft arrow pointing north.
Notre Dame defensive tackle Sheldon Day is a tad undersized and can struggle in congestion, but give him any type of space and blockers don’t have an answer for his athleticism and active hands. And that’s why Jason Garrett and his staff often kicked him outside to defensive end where he could work one-on-one vs. tackles. Day has the first step explosion, low pad level and body control to create havoc.
Similar to his game film, Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed wasn’t flashy during the game, but he was stout and bullied blockers most of the game. He used his powerful hands to stack-and-shed at the point of attack and keep the middle of the field clogged up. Whichever team drafts Reed won’t sell a lot of jerseys with his name on the back, but all 32 clubs wish they had a player like him in the rotation.
2. Black and blue Cardinal: The most impressive defensive tackle in Mobile this week was Louisville’s Sheldon Rankins, but he was unable to play on Saturday due to injury. Originally called a “knee sprain” by the training staff, Rankins told sideline reporter Alex Flanagan that he aggravated a previous injury to his upper calf.
3. Belle of the Ball: North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz is clearly the top quarterback prospect in Mobile, and although he didn’t dominate the box score, he showed the traits that will land him in the top half of Round 1. Wentz finished 6-for-10 for 50 yards in his one quarter of action, but several of his throws were dropped, including one by Cincinnati wide receiver Chris Moore. On that throw, Wentz surveyed the field and fired a rope with perfect placement to the opposite sideline, which should have been a first down and extended the drive. He escaped the pocket prematurely on a few snaps and looked to run too quickly, but Wentz handled himself well.
4. Dak attack in Mobile: Wentz was the top quarterback prospect on display, but it was Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott who took home the game’s Most Outstanding Player Award. He finished 7-for-10 passing and orchestrated a 10-play, 80-yard scoring drive, ending in a five-yard touchdown pass to Southeast Missouri wide receiver Paul McRoberts. Prescott grew into a much more consistent passer during his senior season and has a chance to develop into a consistent backup in the NFL.
5. Measuring tape or game tape? Only one quarterback on the South squad threw for 100-plus yards on Saturday and that was Arkansas’ Brandon Allen, who completed seven of his 10 passes. He is underwhelming from a physical standpoint but showed off his vision and quick decision-making to scan and deliver down the field. For Allen, it was a great way to end his week after a not-so-great start, measuring in with 8 1/2-inch hands on Tuesday. That number alone will eliminate him from several draft boards as many have a 9-inch (or larger) threshold for quarterbacks.
6. Quiet day for Braxton: After an impressive week of practice, Ohio State wide receiver Braxton Miller was quiet in the game with only two catches for eight yards. He was targeted often, but dropped a screen pass and had his signals crossed on several other plays. Miller did draw a defensive pass interference penalty in the end zone and showed well as a return man, including a 31-yard kickoff return. He is clearly still very raw as a route-runner, but his special athleticism and upside will likely land him somewhere in the top 40 picks.
7. Rising draft stock: A prospect who made money this week, Boise State safety Darian Thompson stretched his positive week to game action on Saturday, standing out on defense and special teams. He was very inconsistent on tape this season and showed some of that on Saturday, misjudging angles and leaving production on the field. But there was more good than bad with his plant-and-drive quickness, trusting his eyes and reacting decisively to make plays.
8. If you can cover, you can play in the NFL: LSU is a football factory for the NFL, and a pair of former Tigers impressed on defense, specifically in coverage. A cornerback, safety and nickelback in college, Jalen Mills lined up exclusively as a corner during practice and stayed outside for the game, impressing with his quickness and ability to disrupt up the catch point. He anticipates well and runs the route before the wide receiver at times, breaking up a throw in the end zone during the game. Linebacker Deion Jones lacks an ideal frame for the position in the NFL, but his instincts and athleticism on special teams and in coverage will get him on an NFL field. He impressed in both areas on Saturday.
9. A player who won’t give NFL coaches white hair: Kansas State offensive guard Cody Whitehair drew barely any praise during the telecast, but it was business as usual for the former college left tackle, winning almost every snap he took on Saturday. Whitehair was quick to set up off the snap, with the balance to stay square to defenders and control the point of attack. Not many guards wind up in the first round, but Whitehair is NFL-ready right now, and his performance this week only cemented my belief that he’s one of the top 25 players in this draft.
10. And the game’s top receiver was…: Although it’s a very underwhelming tight end class this year, Ohio State’s Nick Vannett impressed during practice and had a game-best 58 yards receiving on three catches. While not quite as athletically gifted as former Buckeye Jeff Heuerman, who was a third-round pick of the Denver Broncos last year, Vannett was the top tight end in Mobile with his toughness as a blocker and ability to finish as a receiver. Baylor’s Jay Lee was the most productive wideout on Saturday, finishing with four catches for 49 yards, capping off a very strong week for the former Bear.
znModeratorBraxton Miller and 5 others who boosted their draft stock at this year’s Senior Bowl
Dan Kadar
The former Ohio State star has a bright future at wide receiver, and he’s one of the five best players in today’s Senior Bowl. Here’s who helped themselves the most this week, and why to expect more of Carson Wentz.
Before practices began at this year’s Senior Bowl, Braxton Miller was a bit of an enigma. For Ohio State this season, Miller switched from quarterback to a type of hybrid offensive weapon.
He ran the ball 42 times for 260 yards and a touchdown. He caught the ball 26 times for 341 yards and three touchdowns. He showed intrigue, but those are not exactly dazzling numbers. Miller’s usage was indicative of Ohio State’s up-and-down season on offense, so it was hard to figure out what to make of him as a prospect for the 2016 NFL Draft.
Following three practice sessions in Mobile, Ala. that is no longer the case. Miller was unquestionably the week’s biggest star. The Dallas Cowboys coaching staff running the North roster worked Miller outside and in the slot, and he was really good at both.
“I feel like every team needs playmakers and they’ve mentioned that I can do it all, whether it’s being a punt returner, in the backfield as a decoy and playing on the outside,” Miller said earlier this week. “It’s a great feeling being able to do all that stuff and still learn so much at the same time.”
Miller proved to be a quick learner during the week. Coaches tasked Miller with keeping his eyes up on routes and be tighter in his movements. Later in the week, he showed off what he learned. More than once, in fact:
“We’re coaching these guys hard and it’s good to see how well he’s responded to that coaching,” Dallas Cowboys head coach said. “Clearly a great athlete and a productive football player, and someone that has a lot of upside.”
With Miller starting to actualize that upside, Miller’s draft stock is clearly on the rise. It will go even higher if he runs a 4.28 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, like he predicted this week. Miller also said he closely follows the play of Julian Edelman of the New England Patriots and Randall Cobb of the Green Bay Packers. Miller’s game and his path to the the NFL mirrors Cobb, a quarterback and receiver at the University of Kentucky. Cobb was eventually picked with the last pick of the second round in 2011. Miller might not last that long.
“He’s a top-40 pick, and that showed this week,” an AFC scout said this week. “If he was ever under the radar, he isn’t anymore.”
The Senior Bowl week belonged to Miller, but he was far from the only standout. Here’s who helped themselves the most leading up to today’s game, which is at 1:30 p.m. on the NFL Network.
Sheldon Rankins, DT, Louisville: Rankins won’t play in the Senior Bowl game after tweaking his knee early in the week. But when he practiced he was impressive. Rankins’ game is speed and technique, and that made him nearly unblockable all week. Rankins had a good season at Louisville with 58 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and six sacks. His best role moving forward will be playing three-technique on a 4-3 team.
Noah Spence, DE, Eastern Kentucky: What happened off the field this week was just as important as what he did on it. Spence needed to be forthcoming to teams about the drug issues that got him dismissed at Ohio State, and he was during a multitude of meetings with personnel members. If you couple that with what Spence showed this week, it’s easy to see him becoming a top-15 pick in April. All week, Spence was terrorizing offensive linemen with his speed and ability to bend around the edge. Star pass rushers like Spence don’t last long in the draft.
Nick Vannett, TE, Ohio State: At Ohio State, Vannett was underutilized in head coach Urban Meyer’s spread offense. Vannett said after practice on Thursday that he wanted to show he’s much more of a pass catcher and playmaker. After a good week of practice, Vannett’s mission was accomplished. Vannett has good size at 6’5 3/4 and 256 pounds, and used it to body defenders all week to create room to make catches. Vannett’s teammate Jeff Heuerman was a third-round pick at tight end last year. Vannett could go even higher.
Vernon Butler, DT, Louisiana Tech: It was a good, consistent week for Butler. At 325 pounds, he moved around much better than expected and is a naturally strong player against the run. Butler is working this offseason on his pass rush ability, and some of that flashed during one-on-one drills. In a loaded defensive tackle class, Butler justified his second-round status at the Senior Bowl.
wentz_yay
(Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports)What about Carson Wentz?
North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz was the headline player of this year’s Senior Bowl. Physically, Wentz has all the tools you want in a franchise quarterback. The week for Wentz began with an impressive weigh-in where he came in at just under 6’5 1/4 and 233 pounds. Senior Bowl Executive Director Phil Savage said Wentz could be a top-10 pick this year.
“Physically I’ve got a lot to offer with being able to make all of the throws and then some athleticism that people probably wouldn’t expect from a big 6’5 kid like me,” Wentz said. “Then, obviously the system we ran at North Dakota State was very pro-style, multiple, so I’m looking forward to that transitioning and helping me going forward.”
The system helps Wentz. The size and athleticism helps Wentz. He’s worth discussing as a high first-round pick because of those things. But Wentz didn’t exactly dazzle with his accuracy during the week. He missed several easy passes on Tuesday and looked best throwing short over the middle and on slants the rest of the week. Did Wentz have some good red zone completions? He did, particularly on one red zone pass placed on the back shoulder of Michigan State wide receiver Aaron Burbridge.
The week for Wentz was good. It was not great. From a player who some in the NFL expect to be the first quarterback taken in the draft, it’s not unreasonable to expect much more.
January 30, 2016 at 6:00 pm in reply to: ESPN will televise Reese’s Senior Bowl practices & other S.B. details #38391znModeratorfrom off the net
—
jemach
Here are a few players they are raving about here in Dallas after the Senior Bowl week…
Noah Spence…if not for off field…a top 10 player.
Braxton Miller…total freakazoid athlete…could be special.
Murray (not sure of first name) DB from Minnesota.
Carson Wentz did not disappoint.znModeratorfrom off the net
—
CraigMatson
First off The DL’s in the game that will be considered in round 1 will be numerous. Mayock and Daniel Jerimiah are in agreement there could be as many 10 in this game alone. They have mentioned the DE-LB from E.Kentucky is Noah Spence took the week and made money but barely made plays in game ,besides pressures ,
The Alabama DT Jerron Reed has shown consistant play with his power and movement skills , The Louisana Tech DT Vernon Butler also has looked like he has excellent push the pocket skills and movement to rate in top two rounds.
DB’s looked good , WR’s pretty blah , I’m thinking Kenyon Drake the backup RB from Alabama who supposedly runs 4.38 could convert to WR.
Treadwell would be in this being he’s a Jr , rumor is now he may run 4.6 or slower 40 now but this class of WR’s looks pretty poor with the Jr entry’s so his value remains high
RB’s have been ok ,,
Carson Wentz production on stat line belies the actual play by him due to a few drops .
He also showed he can run a bit , looks like a 4.7 -4.75 guyArkansas QB Allen and Keesler looked pretty good along with Prescott..
Mayock just said C class is pretty deep this year as well as the DT class.
Prescott was the MVP
Its was a fairly defensive day folks.
znModeratorFine. But if it is worth doing at all you should give it as good a go as you would do mowing your lawn.
Except in this case I would be mowing YOUR lawn.
That is, nothing prevents others from posting SB articles in this thread. If they are interested, go for it.
.
znModeratorRemember when we were all discussing how many times in the history of the NFL a team has started two rookie Offensive Lineman and succeeded?
But the way I see that one is that they had basically no choice.
They had a line in 2013, it got wrecked in 2014, and in 2015 they either got linemen through the draft or spent future cap space from 2016 on for free agent linemen, when they needed that cap space to sign their own 2016 free agents.
I personally think it was better to repair the line with youngsters than to spend that cap space.
Plus, of course, Gordon seems to act as if Foles melting down were part of some deliberate plan. Fact is, they did build a defense that kept them competitive in 2015. No qb meltdown and they win 2-3 more games IMO.
.
znModeratorAnd you do a nice takedown of Gordon’s Building for 2016 Hypothesis.
Save your searing bitter personal attacks for email, where they belong.
Translation: thanks!
.
znModeratorI don’t know if it’s a slam so much. He doesn’t seem to be admonishing the Rams. He’s just putting two and two together.
I took a lot of it that way, ie. as slams. Though I think maybe your point is that putting an editorial remark (“slams”) in the title is a bit out of bounds. Actually I agree with that. In hindsight, better to just put up a neutral title for an article thread, and then comment in the thread.
I do see the point of this:
When the Rams drafted a rehabbing running back and a bunch of offensive linemen to train on the job last season, it was glaringly obvious they were building for the 2016 season.
BUT while the point is valid I have some reservations. IMO, if Foles doesn’t do his wicked witch of the west imitation meltdown, they would have had a winning season. For that matter, if Bradford doesn’t go down, they have winning seasons in both 2014 and 2015. He kind of acknowledges that with Foles when he says that the OL shell-shocked the new qb.
EXCEPT I don’t buy it. They had to rebuild the OL in 2015 because it fell apart in 2014 (after doing fairly well in 2013.) So the way I see it, in 2015 they had 2 choices:
* rebuild the OL with FAs mixed in, which means taking cap space out of 2016 and 2017 thereby limiting how many of their own FAs they could sign
* rebuild the OL with youth, thereby saving 2016 and 2017 cap space to spend on their own FAs
I think the smarter thing longterm was to preserve the cap space, and that’s whether they moved or not. That is, I usually will endorse “make it for the longterm” moves like that.
In terms of taking a rehabbing RB, not bad. If the is going to be better in 2016, a full 2 years after the surgery, then…cowabunga.
Either way it’s not like Gurley did nothing in 2015. As for the slams…it’s not just the tone, it’s comments like this:
With any luck, Snead will locate the next Garrett Gilbert.
Ooo zinger Jeff. Ouch.
I thought he was being petulant, myself.
January 30, 2016 at 10:55 am in reply to: Donald Named 2016 Pro Bowl Captain & yet MORE Donald recognition #38337znModeratorPro Bowl Wired: Aaron Donald
Go inside the conversations at Pro Bowl practice with Aaron Donald mic’d up.
-
AuthorPosts
