Month: May 2012

Jacksonville Jaguars

stevenlourie Uncategorized

Debate the Jacksonville Jaguars offseason needs in The Football Fan Forum 

2010 Preview:

I don’t know how a team makes themselves worse in the draft, but, at least in the short term, they did. Tyson Alualu could be a solid starting caliber player in the future, but for now, he’s a downgrade over veteran John Henderson, who was cut when they drafted Alualu. Their pass defense was atrocious last year on all levels. Their corners couldn’t cover, their safeties couldn’t cover, they had fewer sacks as a team than some individual players had. Aaron Kampman helps, but this is still going to be a very poor defensive squad unable to contain the pass.

Offensively, they should once again be just so so. Maurice Jones Drew is still a monster of a running back, but he was last year and that didn’t help them make 8+ win. It won’t this year either with all of the other teams in the NFL, for the most part, getting better this offseason, unless David Garrard has a great year at quarterback.

Projection: 6-10 4th in AFC South 

Power Ranking: 23 

Last Season: 7-9

Grade:

#10 DT Tyson Alualu (California)

This has to be the most head scratching draft pick I’ve ever seen. I scratched my head so hard when I saw it, that I scratched a hole right through my scalp. The only possible explanation for why the Jaguars would have taken a late 2nd round prospect at 10 is that they reached an agreement with his agent that they would make him the 10th overall pick if he agreed to not demand 10th overall pick money. The Jaguars are in that dire of a financial situation. However, if they were in that dire of a financial situation, why didn’t they just take Tebow. He would have been less of a reach. He would have helped them more than Alualu. And he would have sold tickets. How is Alualu going to help them sell tickets? Who wants to spend money to see Tyson Alualu? The Jaguars may have effectively doomed their team into backruptcy. I can see it now, the 2012 Los Angeles Jaguars (of Anahiem).

Grade: F

#74 DT D’Anthony Smith (Louisiana Tech)

Well, at least they’re consistent. They drafted a 3rd round caliber defensive tackle in the 1st and they took a 3rd round caliber defensive tackle in the 3rd. Is Gene Smith so lazy (or so demotivated by Jack Del Rio) that he can’t even bother to take another position. This is the 3rd straight year they have drafted the same position back-to-back with their first 2 picks and defensive tackle wasn’t even a need heading into draft day. What are they going to do about their awful pass rush and their completely inability to stop anyone through the air? The only reason this isn’t another F is because Smith somewhat fits the draft range.

Grade: D

#143 DE Larry Hart (Central Arkansas)

It’s bad when you use the 143th pick on a player I’ve never heard of. I’d estimated there are about 450 players in this draft class that I have heard of and this guy was not one of them. Per ESPN, he is an undersized defensive end from a small school. They don’t even have any stats from him because no one cares. He fills a need, but how much help is a guy who isn’t very good.

Grade: F

#153 DE Austin Lane (Murray State)

Lane was a 4th round prospect so getting him in the 5th is good, but is Gene Smith incapable of not taking the same position twice in a row. This is the 5th time in the last 3 years he has doubled up on the same position with two back to back picks and the second time he did it with defensive ends.

Grade: A-

#180 RB Deji Karim (Southern Illinois)

Karim is good value at this point and can serve as a backup to Maurice Jones Drew as Rashad Jennings, apparently, was not living up to their standards.

Grade: A

#203 CB Scotty McGee (James Madison)

Finally they focus on the secondary, but McGee should not have been drafted. He’s not worthy of being drafted. He’s a solid kick returner, but won’t help their secondary at all.

Grade: C

Overall:

The Jaguars have effectively screwed themselves over with this draft. They barely upgraded anything. There have been teams that drafted badly this year that only got upgrades at low value positions, but this team didn’t even do that and they didn’t fix their #1 need, selling tickets. The Jaguars had a league low 1 sellout last year. They probably will only have one more next year and that’ll be week 1 when Tim Tebow (who they should have drafted) and the Broncos come into town. They may get another one if the Colts come to town and the Jaguars are playing well (as was the case last year), but this team probably won’t play very well next year.

Grade: F

Key undrafted free agents:

CB Chris Hawkins (LSU)

C John Estes (Hawaii)

OLB Kyle Bosworth (UCLA)

WR Chris McGaha (Arizona State)

OT Kevin Haslam (Rutgers)

FB Jason Harmon (Florida Atlantic)

Positions of need:

Defensive End:

Their secondary got torched every single game last season and I mean every single game. Part of that blame has to fall on their weak cornerbacks, but part of that blame also has to fall on their defensive lineman. In fact, considering their d-line’s 14sacks last season, I’d say more of the blame must be placed there. Derrick Harvey led the team with 2 sacks. This is pathetic, especially for a team that is two years removed from using their first two picks on defensive ends to rush the passer. Derrick Morgan should be heavily considered at 10, assuming they don’t trade down, more on that later.

Signed Aaron Kampman, Drafted Larry Hart (#143), Drafted Austin Lane (#153)

Cornerback:

Of course, when you are as bad as the Jags were against the pass last year, you also have to blame some of the cornerbacks, though they weren’t helped out much by their defensive line. Derex Cox is nothing but a nickel corner in this league and needs to be moved to that position, instead of starting cornerback, ASAP. If they don’t trade down from 10, in state cornerback Joe Haden could be a possibility.

Drafted Scotty McGee (#203) 

Safety:

Again, you can’t just blame the cornerbacks. They traded for Gerald Alexander in the offseason, but he didn’t do much. He really struggled against the pass this year. He could be upgraded.

Defensive Tackle:

They looked better against the run late in the season, but they have yet to find a true replacement for Marcus Stroud since they traded him to the Bills a few years ago. They might use a mid round pick on some depth, at least, at the position.

Drafted Tyson Alualu (#10), Drafted D’Anthony Smith (#74) 

Quarterback:

The Jaguars #1 need this offseason, regardless of position is to figure out some way to sell more tickets next year and that, unfortunately, may mean they draft Tim Tebow. I say unfortunately on many levels. Its unfortunate for the Jags because quarterback isn’t a huge need. Its unfortunate for David Garrard, who doesn’t deserve to lose his job. Its unfortunate for Tim Tebow who would likely be started from week 1 to sell tickets. If this happens, he will fail. I am a huge Tebow supporter, but he is not NFL ready right now. I believe he can learn to be in a year’s time, but not if he starts week 1. However, Tebow to Jacksonville looks pretty inevitable and pretty necessary and for this reason they may trade down. There is no need to take Tebow at 10, not because he doesn’t deserve the slot per se, but because the market for him isn’t very big in the first round. The only other 1st round team I can see taking a shot at Tebow is Minnesota and they don’t draft until 29. However, the Jags can’t pass him up at 10, because there’s a very good chance that he isn’t there when they draft in the 3rd round, which will be the next time they draft. So, I believe they should either trade down from 10 to the mid 20s, Philadelphia might be looking to move up to take Derrick Morgan, and secure a 2nd round pick to help their defense in the process, or, they should trade their 3rd round pick, their 4th round pick, and a future 3rd rounder to move up to the top half of the 2nd round to take Tebow. There is a decent shot he is still there in the top of the 2nd and doing this would allow them to get that big time defensive prospect to help their defense, like Derrick Morgan or Joe Haden.

Wide Receiver:

Torry Holt was recently cut and now they need a replacement opposite Mike Sims Walker. They drafted 2 wide receivers in the mid rounds last year, but if they aren’t sold on either being future starting material, they could target one in free agency this year, though I doubt they can target one through the draft because of their lack of picks.

 

Free agents:

RB Allen Patrick 

WR Torry Holt- signed with Patriots, 1 year 1.6 million

WR Troy Williamson (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1 million

OT Tra Thomas- signed with Chargers 

G Kynan Forney- resigned

C Dennis Norman

DE Reggie Heyward

DT Atiyyah Ellison (restricted)- resigned

DT Montavious Stanley- signed with Dolphins

DT Rob Meier 

DT John Henderson- signed with the Raiders 1 year

OLB Brandon Iwuh- signed with Bears 

OLB Clint Ingram (restricted)- not tendered, signed with Saints

MLB Tim Shaw (restricted)

Offseason moves:

Jaguars cut DE Reggie Hayward

Jaguars acquire G Justin Smiley from Dolphins for 7th-round pick

Jaguars waive RB Allen Patrick

Jaguars sign OLB Teddy Lehman 

Jaguars cut DT John Henderson

Jaguars withdraw tender from OLB Clint Ingram

Jaguars sign MLB Freddie Keiaho

Jaguars cut OLB Brandon Iwuh

Jaguars cut DT Montavious Stanley

Jaguars acquire MLB Kirk Morrison and a 5th-round pick from Raiders for 4th-round pick

Jaguars trade DE Quentin Groves to Raiders for a 5th-round pick

Jaguars sign DE Aaron Kampman

Jaguars sign WR Kassim Osgood

Jaguars re-sign G Kynan Forney

Jaguars re-sign DT Atiyyah Ellison

Jaguars tender OLB Clint Ingram

Jaguars sign TE Ernest Wilford

Jaguars re-sign WR Troy Williamson

Jaguars cut WR Torry Holt

Jaguars cut DT Rob Meier 

 

Jabari Greer Saints

stevenlourie Uncategorized

 

Jabari Greer has been a pretty middle of the run cornerback over the past 2 seasons, but he was actually one of the best cornerbacks in the league in 2009, the last time the Saints had a respectable pass rush in front of him. In 2009, he ranked 9th on ProFootballFocus. He’s not much of a ballhawk, but he’s a solid cover cornerback and the best the Saints have. He only had one year left on his deal and a 23 million dollar extension over 3 years, taking him through his age 33 season in 2015, is pretty reasonable. I’m also betting this extension lowered his cap number in 2012, important for a Saints team backed up against the cap.

Grade: B

 

Iowa State/Texas A&M

stevenlourie Uncategorized

Spotlight #1: Iowa State OT Kelechi Osemele

Spotlight #2: Texas A&M RB Cyrus Gray 

1st quarter

9:20: Osemele technically gives up a sack, but it wasn’t his fault. The quarterback fell. Osemele’s man happened to be the first guy to touch him after he fell.

8:41: Gray forward for 4 yards.

8:30: Gray targeted, but inaccurate high. Christine Michael (yes, that’s a guy’s name) was in on the first 2 drives for Texas A&M, but now Gray is in.

8:09: Osemele with an excellent block on a run play.

7:35: Osemele tries to block Sean Porter. The 6-2 230 pound Porter, who had 7.5 sacks coming into this game as a 3-4 outside linebacker for A&M, is way too quick for Osemele. Tackle for a loss.

2nd quarter

14:04: Sean Porter unblocked to the quarterback, bats down a pass.

14:00: Osemele allows a pressure. He’s hurt on the play, but doesn’t have to leave the game.

12:53: Osemele slow to get into a 2nd level block.

12:13: Osemele again having trouble with his man. He doesn’t look very quick at all.

12:02: Cyrus Gray in on this drive, 3 yards on an outside run. Not a lot there.

10:30: Gray is wide open for a dump off, takes for it a gain of 17 in space.

9:00: Osemele gets great push on a run play, but can’t open up a big hole though. 3 yard run towards Osemele’s side.

8:02: Great job blocking by Osemele on a drive. Nice job of selling the pass.

7:02: Gray up the middle for 4 yards.

5:47: Gray finds a crease on an outside run, picks up 6 yards.

5:19: Gray on a designed outside run, but the outside is well covered. Great vision and instincts to cut back and run north and south for a 1st.

5:01: Gray with two nice cuts on an outside run for 6 yards. Excellent change of speed. He’s really getting into a rhythm.

4:32: Gray showing excellent vision and change of direction for 7 yards. Nice explosion and burst too.

3:58: Osemele asked to block for a long time on a deep play. Good job. He’s been very impressive when his man doesn’t beat him off the snap.

3:35: Osemele opens up a big enough hole for Iowa State to convert 3rd and 1.

3:05: Osemele struggles a but on a pull block, but good instincts to recover it after the back fumbles.

0:19: Osemele with a powerful run block.

 

3rd quarter

11:10: Gray cuts for a few.

10:55: Awesome straight line speed on an outside run by Gray, finds a hole for a huge gain and shows great acceleration and speed for 31 yards.

5:42: Gray takes a shovel pass for 14 yards in space.

3:47: Osemele on Porter again, struggling again.

3:43: Osemele with a huge pancake of a guy about to give chase on his quarterback trying to flee the pocket.

3:16: Osemele wins the matchup with Porter this time.

3:00: Osemele helps blow open a nice seam on a short quarterback run.

2:05: Gray with a nice spin move followed by great downfield explosion to turn a broken play into 12 yards.

1:49: Gray showing excellent patience and vision to wait for and find a hole. 8 yard again.

1:12: Gray with a pickup of few yards to convert 3rd and 2, he’s so good at changing directions.

4th quarter

14:20: Gray up the middle for a few yards.

13:25: Gray can’t turn nothing into something on 3rd and 1. Too many defenders in the backfield.

12:58: Gray stuffed by multiple guys on 4th and 1.

8:05: Gray catches one out of the backfield for a few.

6:28: Osemele can’t block Porter again.

5:53: This time Osemele blocks Porter.

5:09: False start by Osemele.

4:18: Osemele in on a double team on Porter, but doesn’t see the cornerback blitz, which he should have picked up as he was on a double. Sack.

3:45: Gray for a few on an outside run against a stacked box. Good job staying in bounds with the lead late.

3:01: Gray makes a nice cut, breaks a tackle, and again doesn’t go down on first contact.

2:25: Gray picks up 5 up the middle on first down. This time his cut can’t break it.

1:40: Gray stuffed by a couple guys for a short gain.

1:01: Gray stuffed for no gain against a stacked line.

0:00: Cyrus Gray the highest rated backup running back in college football for good reason. He’s a backup to a great running back in his own right, Christine Michael. He has a history of success as a starter, 200 carries for 1133 yards and 12 touchdowns, 34 catches for 251 yards and a touchdown. He’s still having a great season as a backup, 134 carries for 646 yards and 7 touchdowns, 16 catches for 147 yards after this game. Also, with all of the running back committees in the NFL, it’s good to see a college running back who has success in a college running back committee and is okay with being in one as long as his team is winning. He and Christine Michael are reportedly very good friends.

Gray showed off his abilities in this game. He’s not the biggest guy at 5-10 205, but he’s got good speed and he’s very tough to bring down. He has great patience and vision and cuts well. He can catch out of the backfield as well. He’s a typical shifty back and would fit well in a zone blocking scheme at the next level. I don’t know if he’ll be anything special at the next level, but he’s someone who can split carries with another back and give you good production. He had a good game today with 125 yards on 21 carries and 3 catches for 35 yards, though he was hardly playing a great defense. He looks like a 3rd rounder.

As for Osemele, he really struggled with Sean Porter’s quickness. Osemele is a former guard playing tackle at 6-5 345 and he looks like he belongs back at guard in a power blocking scheme. He’s not athletic enough to play tackle at the next level. He doesn’t get low enough and he has trouble with quicker guys. However, if a guy can’t beat him off the snap, Osemele does very well. He’s also an excellent run blocker, which I why I feel he’d fit as a guard much better.

He was considered a potential first round prospect as a guard coming into the season, but his stock is slipping now that he’s struggle as a tackle. I still feel he has late 1st-early 2nd round abilities as a guard and could be a steal if he slips into the 3rd round or so after a poor year at left tackle. He reminds me a lot of someone like Mike Iupati.

 

Iowa/Michigan State

stevenlourie Uncategorized

Spotlight #1: Iowa OT Riley Reiff

Spotlight #2: Iowa DT Mike Daniels 

1st quarter

14:34: Reiff misses a cut block.

13:44: Reiff bulldozes a guy in the open field on a 2nd level block.

12:56: Marvin McNutt has a tough low catch go off his hands, would have been a tough play, but needs to be made if it hits your hands, especially for a potential high draft pick.

12:05: Daniels gets outmuscled and pushed back.

9:17: BJ Cunningham beats Micah Hyde on a slant for a touchdown.

9:12: Reiff pushes a guy inside on an off tackle run for a small gain.

8:23: Daniels overly aggressive on a run play.

6:28: Reiff knocks a guy down after being bull rushed back a bit.

4:04: Mike Daniels bull rushes the guy back, Broderick Binns with a tackle for loss on the play, big loss.

3:11: Marvin McNutt with a highlight reel 30 yard reception.

2:16: Reiff with a cut block on a successful reverse, McNutt for 19 yards.

2nd quarter

11:15: Reiff stands up a spin move. Quick feet, good hands.

10:19: Daniels double blocked well for a while, but eventually able to split it. Nothing comes of it.

4:25: Daniels gets into the backfield, back blows past him adjusts, helps bring him down from behind for a short gain.

2:53: Reiff poor run blocking on a play that goes for tackle for loss.

2:47: Iowa really struggling to run the ball, Reiff isn’t helping.

2:43: Reiff mirrors a speed rush well, good feet.

2:25: Daniels does a great job splitting a double team with a swim, good hand use, shedding the back block too, but quarterback releases it under pressure by several defenders, almost picked by Binns, who does a good job of diving and almost making the interception.

1:57: Daniels blocked off the play on a delay, up the middle, turns into a long touchdown.

1:21: BJ Cunningham with a great leaping catch, 2nd touchdown of the game, again on Micah Hyde.

1:14: Reiff helps clear out a hole for a few, one of his better run blocks of the night.

0:42: Reiff stands up another spin move.

0:15: Reiff needs some double team help in pass protection.

0:00: Worthy already part of keeping Iowa’s run game in check, now has a punt block.

 

3rd quarter

14:13: Daniels misses a tough diving tackle.

13:26: Worthy with a great solo play to limit Iowa to a yard gain on the ground.

9:29: Daniels solid speed going to sideline.

7:27: Reiff with a more powerful run block here.

6:21: Reiff pushed back on the goal line, no touchdown on an inside run.

5:43: McNutt can’t quite drag his foot on a potential fade pass for a touchdown.

5:39: Reiff allows rare pressure, McNutt scores a touchdown on the play.

2:35: Reiff does well against spin move, spins doing nothing against him tonight, he’s too athletic.

2:26: Reiff can’t open up much room against the run again.

0:49: Reiff with a good 2nd level block on the goal line for a touchdown.

4th quarter

14:26: Daniels breaks into the backfield, good effort to try to chase the back from behind.

13:22: Daniels penetrates for a tackle for little to no gain.

12:25: Daniels gets pressure on the quarterback, puts his hands up when he realizes he can’t get there, could have deflected it, just missed, but I like the instincts.

11:21: Reiff blocks well for a long time one on one.

10:34: Reiff opens up a big cutback lane, back sees it too late, doesn’t get nearly as big a gain as he could have.

10:10: Daniels knocked down as an interior run goes through his gap.

8:16: McNutt almost makes a tough catch against PI.

5:15: Broderick Binns gets a key sack, poor pocket presence by Cousins.

4:53: McNutt can’t track down an underthrown deep ball open downfield.

3:42: Reiff stands up another spin move, can’t beat him with quickness.

0:00: Kirk Cousins and BJ Cunningham had a terrible game against Nebraska in which Cousins went 11 of 27 for 86 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception. Cunningham was taken out of the game completely by Nebraska cornerback Alfonzo Dennard and Cousins kept forcing the ball to him and could have easily thrown 3 or 4 interceptions. In this one, the duo faced Iowa’s cornerback combo Micah Hyde and Shaun Prater. Prater is a senior and a potential late day 2 to mid round pick, while Hyde is the more athletic and figures to be a day 2 pick in 2013 should he return.

In this one, Hyde was matched up with Cunningham. Cunningham didn’t have the greatest game and Hyde might not be as good as Dennard, but he wasn’t catchless either, catching 4 passes for 46 yards and 2 catch touchdowns one on one with Hyde. Cousins had a much better game, going 18 of 31 for 260 yards and 3 touchdowns. He seemed both willing and capable to throw away from Cunningham went he wasn’t open.

Michigan State’s leading receivers were Keshawn Martin, the other senior wide receiver, who caught 4 passes for 87 yards, tight end Brian Linthicum, who caught 5 for 71, and running back LeVeon Bell, who caught 2 passes for 49 yards. Cunningham reminds a mid day 3 pick in the 5th round range, while Cousins looks like a 4th or 5th rounder, an earlier day 3 pick. Martin could get drafted late. He had a solid senior season opposite Cunningham. The 5-11 190 receiver had 66 catches for 770 yards and 4 touchdowns on the season. Linthicum, meanwhile, could get drafted late as well. He’s one of a few tight ends Michigan State uses so his stats have been somewhat limited, but he’s a decent pass catcher and a good blocker as well. The 6-5 245 pound tight end has 31 catches for 364 yards on the season, but hasn’t scored.

Michigan State also had a great game on the ground, part of why they won 37-21. Senior Edwin Bell did next to nothing on the ground with 51 yards on 13 carries. He had a great junior year with 1207 yards and 13 touchdowns on 207 carries, but has had a terrible senior season and might have trouble getting drafted after just 665 yards and 5 touchdowns on 170 carries on the season. The 5-9 210 pound back has also only caught 8 passes in the last 2 seasons. The better running back was LeVeon Bell. The sophomore back is a talented player who rushed for 112 yards on 20 carries. Their best run blocker was Michigan State guard Joel Foreman. The versatile lineman is a great run blocker and an under rated player in my book. He’ll probably get drafted late.

Michigan State’s offensive line pushed around Iowa’s defensive line. On that is are two draftable prospects, defensive tackle Mike Daniels and defensive end Broderick Binns, though stopping the run is not either’s strength. Daniels had a poor game against the run and had minimal impact as a pass rusher. The 6-1 280 pound defensive tackle got some penetration, but as such a small player, rushing the passer needs to be his forte to really make any sort of impact at the next level. He really didn’t make much impact on this game. On the year, he has 66 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 7 sacks, though in this game he managed just 3 tackles.

Binns didn’t have a great game as a run stopper either, but he had more impact as a pass rusher, getting consistent pass rush. He had a sack and also a tackle for loss against the run, 6 tackles total. The 6-2 260 pounder has 59 tackles, 11.5 for loss, and 5.5 sacks on the season. He’s also good in pass coverage. He has 8 deflections and a pick on the season and has impressed in coverage in general. He could be a late round steal as a 3-4 rush linebacker.

The best draft prospect in this game on either side is Iowa left tackle Riley Reiff, who could end up in the top 10. Reiff had a tough matchup in this one with a Michigan State front 7 that is full of young talent There’s a reason why they rank 7th against the run with 2.8 YPC and 3rd in sacks with 45. Reiff did an excellent job in pass protection. He didn’t come close to surrendering a sack all night and rarely made a mistake or allowed any pressure against such a good Michigan State defensive line.

As a run blocker, things weren’t quite as good for Reiff as Michigan State kept Iowa’s run game in check. Iowa’s offensive line as a whole really struggled to run block in this one and Reiff didn’t help things. Iowa has a talented running back in Marcus Coker who rushed for 1384 yards and 15 touchdowns on 281 carries this season, but managed just 57 and a score on 21 in this one. Reiff needs to get stronger, but he’s not a terrible run blocker. He just had trouble with a very good defensive front. I was more impressed by what he did in pass protection than anything. He’s a very athletic player with great feet, great technique, great instincts, and room to bulk up. He’s not the perfect prospect that Matt Kalil is, but he is deserving of a top 10 or top 15 pick.

The biggest difference maker for Michigan State, especially against the run, was, again Jerel Worthy. The 6-3 310 pound defensive tackle is a monster against the run and made several stand out plays as a run stopper in this one, both tying up blockers and making actual plays on the ball. He also blocked a punt. He’s hurt by poor statistical production with 31 tackles, 10.5 for loss, and 3.5 sacks on the season, but he is a difference maker on the defensive line who deserves to be a late first round pick. Most likely, he’ll end up going in the 2nd round as a 4-3 defensive tackle.

Iowa’s top receiver was once again Marvin McNutt. The senior receiver is having a great year with 83 catches for 1315 yards and 12 touchdowns, including 8 catches for 130 yards and a score in this one, but he lacks breakaway speed and doesn’t stand out as an elite wide receiver on tape. He also really struggled against the best cornerback he played this season, Nebraska’s Alfonzo Dennard, who limited him to 4 catches for 29 yards. He figures to be a solid #2 possession receiver at the next level and a late 2nd/early 3rd round pick.

 

Iowa/Michigan

stevenlourie Uncategorized

Spotlight #1: Iowa WR Marvin McNutt

Spotlight #2: Iowa CB Shaun Prater 

1st quarter

11:41: McNutt with a catch over the middle in stride. 20 yards. Smooth. Nice hands.

9:39: Prater has a dump off go to his side of the field. Good closing speed and instincts, though it was dropped because the throw was behind the receiver a bit.

9:20: McNutt catches one short and then is driven out of bounds.

7:42: Prater with a solid tackle after a short completion.

6:05: Prater sticks his nose in on a tackle after a gain of 8 on the ground.

5:04: Prater almost allows a short catch, but the receiver drops it, hearing Prater’s footsteps. Prater was able to get a hand on the ball after the drop as well.

4:56: Prater can’t wrap up the tight end in the open field.

0:39: False start penalty on Riley Reiff.

0:33: McNutt catches a slant short of the sticks on 3rd and 14. Nice catch, but can’t break it. 4th down.

2nd quarter

12:25: Iowa’s Broderick Binns with his 2nd pass deflection of the night.

11:37: McNutt catches one for 14, he didn’t have a lot of room and didn’t do much after the catch.

9:30: McNutt gets open quick on 3rd and 7, but drops a sure first down.

4:58: Prater with excellent coverage on a deep route. It might have been borderline pass interference, but it looked clean to me.

4:00: McNutt gets a few on an end around. He could have gotten a bigger gain had he been running full speed the whole time. He wasn’t because it was a designed pass. McNutt is a former quarterback.

3:01: Ryan Van Bergen with a tackle for a loss.

2:43: McNutt catches a screen, breaks one, but not enough for the first.

 

3rd quarter

14:31: Prater can’t get off a block on a sizeable run. 7 yards.

10:13: Prater blocked off the play on a quarterback run.

7:45: Prater in on a tackle for a loss.

7:03: Binns with his 3rd deflection of the night. The 6-1 255 defensive end could be drafted late as a 3-4 outside linebacker. He has 38 tackles, 8 for loss, 3.5 sacks, and now 6 pass deflections on the year.

4:57: McNutt thrown to, but he’s well covered. The quarterback makes a bad decision under pressure from a blitz.

4th quarter

14:10: McNutt just has one broken up. The true freshman has done a great job on him.

14:04: McNutt with a nice catch for a first down. Quick, strong hands to snatch it.

12:45: McNutt can’t quite break one after a short completion. 3rd and 2 now.

12:03: McNutt getting into a rhythm. Good chemistry with his quarterback, 3rd down conversion.

10:47: McNutt with a lazy break out of his route. This one was bad.

7:43: McNutt plucks an inaccurate ball out of the air for 24 yards.

1:54: Prater with an excellent deep coverage, runs stride for stride with the receiver, forces the route out of bounds. He had the best shot at the ball.

1:48: Prater defending Roundtree deep, beat after a poor jam at the line, but overthrown.

1:30: Prater allows a sizeable gain, but keeps the play in front of him, a key in a close game under 2 minutes.

0:00: Coming into this game, McNutt had 48 catches for 858 yards and 9 touchdowns in 8 games. He’s rising up boards and could be a day 2 pick. Tonight he had 9 catches for 101 yards and seemed to solidify himself as a day 2 pick. He looks like a solid possession receiver. He is big and has solid hands, catches the ball the right way, and gets open well, but he doesn’t seem to have a two gear on deep routes. He doesn’t look very fast.

He also had a few mental lapses, a dropped pass and a very lazy, poor route, though I’d have to see more tape to decide if that’s a habit or not. I think he’d be a nice #2 receiver at the next level, but I don’t know if there’s anything special here or not. He wasn’t all that good before this season and he doesn’t appear to have elite athleticism either.

Shaun Prater looked very solid as well, though his matchup wasn’t very tough. He was matched up with Roy Roundtree, who had 12 catches for 241 yards and 2 scores coming in, though he was much better last season. Roundtree had 2 catches for 37 yards in this game, though one of them was when he wasn’t covered by Prater. The other one was a late catch when Prater was playing off him, just trying to avoid the big play. Prater also could have surrendered a much bigger gain on a poor coverage by Denard Robinson overthrew his receiver.

The 5-11 195 Prater had a few nice plays against the run, but he also whiffed on a couple tackles and had trouble getting off a couple blocks. He looks like a solid player against the run and nothing more, although I will give him points for effort. At 5-11 195, the effort is what I like to see. He’s not a very big cornerback so he’s not going to be known for his ability against the run. Overall, I’d like to see him with a tougher matchup, like next week against DJ Cunningham, but he looks like the late day 2/early 3 day prospect people are making him to be.

Iowa defensive end Broderick Binns also stood out in this one. He can’t stay at defensive end at the next level at 6-1 255, but it was good to see him have 3 pass breakups. He also dropped in coverage on several occasions and looks like someone who could be a nice late round flier as a 3-4 outside linebacker. On the season, Binns has 38 tackles, 8 for loss, 3.5 sacks, and a whopping 7 pass breakups in 9 games. 

As for Michigan, both Ryan Van Bergen and Mike Martin had good games. Both are strong against the run and should be drafted in day 3. The 6-2 305 Martin has 5.5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks on the year and looks like a solid rotation 4-3 defensive tackle. Van Bergen has 8 tackles for loss and 3.5 tackles for loss on the year. At 6-5 285, he looks like a mid rounder as a 3-4 defensive end or 4-3 left end.

 

Indianapolis Colts

stevenlourie Uncategorized

 

Debate the Indianapolis Colts’ offseason needs in The Football Fan Forum

2010 Preview:

The Colts have become synonymous with consistency in the NFL. They did exactly what they needed to do this offseason, resign their free agents, most notably Gary Brackett, and draft well. Some of their mid round draft picks were head scratchers for me a bit, but their first round pick of Jerry Hughes was brilliant. This team may actually be better this year. They really lacked defensive end depth last year behind the starters Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. When Freeney was hurt in the Super Bowl, they struggled and consequently lost. With Hughes, lack of depth is no longer an issue.  

Their offense should be as good as we have come to expect it to be and this team should once again be among the best in the league. Barring a Peyton Manning injury, I would be very surprised if this team didn’t win 12 or more games once again. I can’t guarantee a Super Bowl or even another Super Bowl appearance for this team because there’s no shortage of talented teams who could beat them in a single playoff game this year, but fortunately for Colts fans, we can all expect more of the same from Peyton and co. I would go as far as to say that they’re the favorites heading into this season.

Projection: 13-3 1st in AFC South

Power Ranking: 1 

Last season: 14-2

Draft:

#31 DE Jerry Hughes (TCU)

Hughes is a bit undersized, but he’s one of the best pass rushers in this draft class and the Colts have had success in the past with undersized overacheiving ends like Hughes. He won’t be much more than a great nickel rusher in his first year, but with Robert Mathis being a free agent in 2011, this pick makes a lot of sense. Even if he resigns, Hughes was too good to pass on and would be very solid depth.

Grade: A

#63 MLB Pat Angerer (Iowa)

Angerer fits their scheme well and was a hell of a college player, but with Charles Brown, who could have been their left tackle of the future still available, taking a talented backup for Gary Brackett, who they just brought back on a longterm deal, seems unimportant, even if he could possibly play other positions.

Grade: C

#94 CB Kevin Thomas (USC)

Thomas certainly has the physical upside to be drafted this high, but he was extremely inconsistent and injury prone in college and the Colts drafted a lot of good cornerbacks last year so I don’t see the huge need here.

Grade: D

#129 G Jacques McClendon (Tennessee)

I didn’t have McClendon getting drafted so I think it’s certainly a reach and I don’t think he fits the scheme well, but I can’t say it wasn’t a need.

Grade: D

#162 TE Brody Eldridge (Oklahoma)

Eldridge has good physical upside, but he only caught 9 passes in 4 years at Oklahoma and tight end was not a need at all for the Colts with Dallas Clark and Tom Santi on the roster.

Grade: F

#238 DT Ricardo Matthews (Cincinnati)

He’s undersized at defensive tackle, but they’ve done well with undersized players before and Matthews is the high motor player they like. They needed defensive tackle help badly even if Fili Moala were to pan out and Matthews is a good value.

Grade: A

#240 OLB Kavell Conner (Clemson)

Another great value and perfect fit, Conner could be a future starter for this team in the future, which is something I don’t say about 7th rounders very often.

Grade: A

#246 CB Ray Fisher (Indiana)

Fisher was not a guy I had on my top 300 prospects, but that’s okay, it’s the late 7th round. However, if Thomas didn’t fill a need, then this guy certainly didn’t either.

Grade: D

Overall:

This was disappointing for me in terms of what I normally expect from the Colts draft. They had a lot of bad picks in my eyes, but they also had some very good ones. They may have acquired 2 future starters in the 7th round and Hughes is a great value and, with Mathis and Freeney, he will make AFC South quarterbacks crap their pants in fear. However, I really didn’t like the Angerer, Thomas, McClendon, and Eldridge picks.

Grade: C+

Key undrafted free agents

WR Blair White (Michigan State)

QB Tim Hiller (Western Michigan)

CB Mike Newton (Buffalo)

RB Jarvarris James (Miami)

RB Brandon James (Florida)

K Brett Swenson (Michigan State)

Positions of need:

Defensive Tackle:

Fili Moala was drafted in the 2nd round last year, but only had 8 tackles last year, 5 in games where they weren’t even trying (surprise!). Even if by some miracle he pans out, they would still need an upgrade next to him. The Colts notoriously ignore the defensive tackle position for offensive upgrades, but they are going to find it hard to upgrade anything on this offensive, because of how good they were last year. Brian Price and Jared Odrick won’t slip past them at 31. I would be very surprised if they didn’t upgrade this position in the first 3 rounds.

Drafted Ricardo Matthews (#238) 

Middle Linebacker:

Gary Brackett had a great season, but he’s a free agent and I have a feeling he might not be back next season. Actually, there’s a pretty good chance they won’t pay him the money he wants. If he leaves, they’ll look for a middle linebacker who fits the scheme, like Daryl Washington, in the 2nd round range. If he stays, they’ll still look for depth guys.

Resigned Gary Brackett, Drafted Pat Angerer (#63) 

Offensive Tackle:

Charlie Johnson did a decent job this year as a left tackle, but he’s a restricted free agent this offseason and could be upgraded. The Colts always like to take best available so Charles Brown could be an option at 31, as could Jason Fox, Jared Veldheer, and Roger Saffold in the 2nd round.

Signed Adam Terry 

Outside Linebacker:

The Colts’ always like to look for linebacker help in the mid rounds, but they don’t have a lot of talent at the position right now so they could look for linebackers earlier this year than normal. Daryl Washington would make a ton of sense because of his versatility.

Drafted Kavell Conner (#240) 

Offensive Guard:

The Colts’ could run a lot better if they upgraded their interior linemen. They run a zone blocking scheme so they could look for the most athletic and offensive guard. Mike Johnson could be an option in the 2nd round and Jon Asamoah could be an option in the 3rd round.

Drafted Jacques McClendon (#129) 

Defensive End:

Robert Mathis will be a free agent in 2011 so they could look for young talented depth at the position this year so they wouldn’t have to look for replacements next year. They always look for best available so they could really look for this position as early as the first round, with a guy like Brandon Graham or Everson Griffen at 31.

Drafted Jerry Hughes (#31) 

 

Free agents:

QB Jim Sorgi- signed with Giants 

RB Chad Simpson- signed with Bills

WR Hank Baskett (restricted)- not tendered, signed with Eagles

WR Roy Hall 

OT Charlie Johnson (restricted)- tendered (2nd)

OT Daniel Federkeil (restricted)

G Ryan Lilja- signed with Chiefs 3 years

DT Daniel Muir (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.7 million

DT Antonio Johnson (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.6 million

DE Raheem Brock 

OLB Tyjuan Hagler (restricted)

#6 MLB Gary Brackett- resigned 5 years 33 million

Undersized at 5-11 235, but a very smart player with excellent leadership abilities and good consistency with at least 99 tackles in each of the last 5 years. The Colts appear to be the front runners to resign him, but there’s a chance he doesn’t. The biggest issue with him is lack of scheme versatility. I don’t think he can play a 3-4.

MLB Freddie Keiaho (restricted)- resigned with Jaguars 1 year

CB Marlin Jackson (restricted)- signed with Eagles 2 years

CB Tim Jennings (restricted)- not tendered, signed with Bears 2 years

CB TJ Rushing (restricted)

CB Nick Graham (restricted)

S Antoine Bethea (restricted)- resigned 4 years 27 million

S Melvin Bullitt (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.6 million

S Aaron Francisco (restricted)- not tendered, signed with Panthers

# refers to Unrestricted Free Agent Ranking 

Offseason moves: 

Colts sign CB Deshea Townsend

Colts claim QB Tom Brandstater 

Colts re-sign S Antoine Bethea

Colts waive WR Roy Hall

Colts re-sign OT Charlie Johnson

Colts re-sign DT Antonio Johnson

Colts re-sign S Melvin Bullitt

Colts re-sign DT Daniel Muir

Colts waive RB Chad Simpson

Colts sign OT Adam Terry

Colts cut G Ryan Lilja

Colts sign G Andy Alleman

Colts cut QB Jim Sorgi

Colts re-sign MLB Gary Brackett

Colts tender OT Charlie Johnson

Colts tender S Melvin Bullitt

Colts tender S Antoine Bethea 

Illinois/Wisconsin

stevenlourie Uncategorized

 

Spotlight #1: Wisconsin G Kevin Zeitler

Spotlight #2: Illinois RB Jason Ford 

1st quarter

6:13: Ford bounces to the outside for 6 yards.

5:02: Ford with a 5 yard run.

2:10: Ford takes a handoff on a draw, converts 3rd and 3.

1:37: Ford with a lot of room from a draw, looked slow picking up just 2, bounces off of one guy, but the 2nd guy brought him down with ease.

2nd quarter

14:48: Ford catches one in the flat, bounces off a tackle, but ends up being brought down by several guys for a loss. Had he gone down on first contact, he could have gained a couple.

13:48: Ford hits the hole with no burst or effort, stuffed at the line.

11:30: Whitney Mercilus with a sack fumble, giving him 13.5 sacks on the season.

8:11: Zeitler with a nice pull block to open up a hole for Montee Ball.

3:30: Zeitler gets a good push on the goal line.

2:55: Zeitler pulls well on the goal line, opens up just a little space for Ball and it’s enough for the touchdown.

1:26: Ford with a nice first down run on first down, breaks a few tackles with a nice cut and a couple spin moves and then pushes a big pile for the first.

1:08: Ford with a few after a cutback, needs two guys to bring him down, but still looks slow.

0:52: Ford with a nice pass block.

0:32: Jenkins has a 15 yard touchdown called back by a penalty.

0:06: Jenkins has another catch and near touchdown brought back by a penalty. He’s not catching any breaks. Neither of these penalties have really affected the play and both were borderline at best.

 

3rd quarter

12:14: Zeitler could have done better on a pull block on 3rd and short. No conversion.

11:33: Zeitler with a better block on 4th and short, converted.

11:01: Zeitler plows open a huge hole for Ball, 9 yards.

9:34: Zeitler again with not the best block on 3rd and short.

9:02: Zeitler bounces back again on 4th and short, Ball runs behind him and converts it.

6:41: Illinois’ quarterback throws a pick on an underthrow to AJ Jenkins. Jenkins did have his man beat, but he needs to do a better job of coming back to that ball. Antonio Fenelus gets the pick, his 4th on the year after 4 last season. The 5-9 190 pound cornerback could get drafted late as a depth cornerback.

2:54: Ford pushes up the middle for a few, strong pile drag.

1:12: Zeitler helps plow open a big hole.

0:26: Ball runs behind Zeitler for 34 yards.

4th quarter

14:14: Fenelus deflects a pass, Jenkins gets a hand on it and Wisconsin safety Aaron Henry eventually picks it off.

13:28: Zeitler with a nice pull block, Ball runs behind him for a good gain. Wisconsin’s offense in general has gotten stronger as the game has gone on, both their offensive line blocking and Montee Ball running the ball.

12:12: Ball with his 30th rushing/receiving touchdown on the year, the 5th player in NCAA history to achieve that feat.

10:57: Ford catches one for a few out of the backfield.

9:55: Ford catches a shovel pass, doesn’t fall forward for the first, stuffed, failed conversion.

2:33: Zeitler with a holding penalty to wipe out a sizeable gain by Montee Ball.

1:25: Zeitler pancakes a guy, allowing another huge run by Montee Ball.

0:00: Arguably this game could have been Kevin Zeitler’s biggest test of the season, at least so far, because it was his first game without stud center Peter Konz next to him. Konz, a borderline first round prospect at center, missed this game with a dislocated ankle and could miss more. As unfortunate as that injury was, this game allowed Zeitler to show that it wasn’t just Konz up front and that he did.

It took him a little bit to get started, but Zeitler really got going from about the 2nd quarter on. Wisconsin was constantly running behind him, whether to the right side behind him at right guard, or to the left side behind Zeitler, who had several excellent pull blocks. Behind him, Montee Ball rushed for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns on 38 carries, and added a 3rd touchdown through the air.

This was also a great game for Ball, who worked towards shedding some of the concerns that maybe he was just a system back. With inconsistencies at center for the first time all season (they had to switch centers mid game), Ball still managed to have a huge game and in the process became just the 5th first in NCAA history to have 30+ rushing/receiving touchdowns in a season. With up to 3 games left (Penn State, possible Big 10 Championship, Bowl Game), Ball still has an outside shot at breaking Barry Sanders’ single season record of 39 touchdowns.

Even more impressive for Ball was how he literally carried the load in this one. Wisconsin ran 45 times to 13 throws and backup James White only had 1 carry. Including 2 receptions, Ball touched the ball on 40 of Wisconsin’s 58 offensive plays tonight and he only got stronger as the game went on. Considering he was missing his best run blocking offensive lineman, this was an incredibly impressive performance that could separate Ball from guys like Lamar Miller and Chris Polk as he fights to be the #2 back behind Trent Richardson in this draft class.

Speaking of the large disparity in runs to passes, this game really didn’t give anyone a good feel for Russell Wilson. Wilson went 10 of 13 for 90 yards and that one touchdown to Montee Ball. I have him rated higher than most. Even at his size, he has a good, strong arm and his arm angle and release point will prevent him from getting a lot of balls batted at the line at the next level. He’s got great character and intangibles and he’s also a running threat. I had a 4th round grade on him coming into this one (not an elite prospect, but there’s enough to work with), and this game doesn’t affect my view of him either way.

Wilson’s top target was Nick Toon, as it has been for most of the season. Despite the conservative game plan, Toon still caught 6 passes for 67 yards (more than 50% of Wisconsin’s completions and yards). He looked much healthier than he had in recent games. Injury concerns are going to be a problem, but he has 47 catches for 748 yards and 8 touchdowns in 10 games for a conservative offense this year and that’s while dealing with injuries. He’s a physical presence at 6-3 220 and a great run blocker as well. He could go between early and late day 2 depending on how his physicals and individual workouts go before draft day.

On the Illinois side, their top draft prospect is Whitney Mercilus. The junior defensive end has come out to nowhere to lead the country in sacks and now has 13.5 sacks after a sack fumble today. However, because Wisconsin didn’t pass very much at all, we didn’t get a good chance to see all that Mercilus had. He was a non-factor for most of the game and that could hurt him a bad. Even at 6-3 265, he still needs to add more functional strength against the run if he is going to get serious looks as a 4-3 defensive end.

The one year wonder looks like primarily a 3-4 outside linebacker prospect in the late first round range. If he comes back, has another good year and gets stronger, he could be a top 10 or top 5 pick in 2013. It’s worth noting his sack did not come against Ricky Wagner. Wagner, Wisconsin’s left tackle, would be a day 2 pick should he come out this year, but Wisconsin players rarely declare early and considering he only has one year of experience on the left side, he’d be best served returning for his senior season. If he does that and plays well, he could follow former Wisconsin left tackles Joe Thomas (2004-2007) and Gabe Carimi (2008-2010) into the first round of the NFL draft in 2013.

AJ Jenkins is the other highly rated pro prospect on Illinois’ offense. After a hot start to the season, he’s cooled off a bit in recent weeks as Illinois’ is now on a 5 game losing streak after starting 6-0. Including this game, Jenkins has 34 catches for 351 yards and no touchdowns in the 5 losses and 46 catches for 815 yards and 7 touchdowns in Illinois’ 6 wins.

Tonight, Jenkins had just 4 catches for 31 yards, but he had two good gains and a touchdown wiped out by stupid penalties. He showed good moves in the open field and good athleticism as Illinois did a good job of getting him the ball out of the backfield as well. He carried the ball 3 times for 13 yards and looked good doing it. The 6-1 195 pounder looks like a 3rd or 4th round as a slot receiver at the next level.

The spotlighted player on Illinois’ side was Jacob Ford. Ford had a few good plays, but also some not so good plays. He’s not particularly fast and could run a very poor 40 time. The 6-1 235 pounder is tough to bring down and he did rush 8 times for 39 yards, along with 3 catches for 7 yards, but he’s not particularly explosive. He had a good game against Penn State, but overall his season hasn’t been that great with now 557 yards and 8 scores on 144 carries with 17 catches for 132 yards. He looks like he’s not going to get drafted and his chances of catching on as a productive runner as an undrafted free agent aren’t that great in my opinion, though we’ve seen guys do so before.

 

Illinois/Penn State

stevenlourie Uncategorized

Spotlight #1: Illinois DE Whitney Mercilus

Spotlight #2: Illinois WR AJ Jenkins 

1st quarter

13:45: Mercilus gets good pressure, disengages and makes a tackle for a short gain on a screen up the middle.

12:26: Jenkins lines up in the backfield, catches a pass out of the backfield. Not going anywhere. Tackle for a loss.

11:49: Jenkins with a good run block.

10:34: Mercilus is run at, he gets a tackle, but not until after giving up a decent gain.

8:57: Mercilus able to win his matchup and get into the backfield. He is frequently lining up from a 2 point stance.

6:26: Mercilus gets a pressure on the quarterback and almost is able to hit him as he throws. Good job holding up in time to avoid a potential roughing the passer penalty as well.

5:51: Mercilus shows a good spin move to beat his man.

5:46: Mercilus whiffs on a tackle for loss, but another guy does bring the ball carrier down for a loss.

5:05: Mercilus’ spin move goes nowhere, stood up.

1:46: Mercilus can’t do anything against a double team.

0:43: Jenkins lined up in the backfield again, this time takes a pitch for a loss. 3 guys around the ball. Poor blocking by Illinois’ offensive line.

0:03: Penn State’s Devon Still with a sack. He had 12 tackles for loss and 3 sacks on the season coming into this game and looks like one of the better defensive tackle prospects in college football.

2nd quarter

14:11: Mercilus double teamed again. Allows other guys to get free for a tackle for little to no gain.

12:25: Mercilus likes the spin move. This one is not particularly effective either.

10:21: Jenkins over the middle shirt. He has been a non-factor in this game with 2 catches for 2 yards, but that’s because Penn State’s defense is playing well and Illinois’ quarterback is not. They’ve gone 3 and out on their first 6 drives.

8:26: Mercilus draws a double team, allowing a blitzing linebacker to get a quarterback hit.

6:50: Jenkins with another good run block.

5:09: Mercilus run at again, no gain.

0:33: Jenkins is targeted in the end zone, but the pass is inaccurate out of the back of the end zone.

0:08: Mercilus is doubled again. He’s been consistently facing double teams, but he has looked good against single blocking on those occasions tonight.

 

3rd quarter

10:21: Jenkins targeted in tight coverage, interception. Jenkins did all he could to get the football low, but his hands weren’t strong enough to get it away from the defensive back, who also made a very nice play on the ball.

5:22: Jenkins catches one against the sideline for a first down.

2:30: Illinois running back Jason Ford is showing some better running here in the 2nd half. He really struggled in the first half because Penn State’s defensive line, led by Devon Still, had been doing an awesome job of bottling up the 6-0 235 pound back. Still is having a great game.

1:16: Jenkins catches one for a decent gain. Solid hands, but nothing after the catch.

0:03: Mercilus in on a combined sack.

4th quarter

11:40: Mercilus gives up a big run through his gap.

7:41: Mercilus applies pressure after a spin move, pressure forces a fumble, fumble recovered by Penn State, but Mercilus is able to finish off the play and get a sack after the recovery. This forces a field goal as it is now 4th and goal.

4:55: Jenkins wide open in space, but the ball is batted down at the line. It’s been that kind of night.

0:00: Whitney Mercilus is a breakout prospect this year the way Nick Fairley was last year, coming out of nowhere. The junior had 2 sacks before this season and now after this game has 11.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss in 9 games and is gaining some steam in the first round. Tonight he had 1.5 sacks. He got consistent pressure when he was single teamed, but struggled with double teams. He lined up in 2 and 3 point stances in about equal amounts, but looked more comfortable in a two point stance.

This is actually good for him. At 6-3 260, he has the size to play 4-3 end, but he struggled a bit against the run. He’s a very quick and athlete pass rusher who is comfortable rushing from a 2 point stance which suggests he’s a better fit as a 3-4 outside linebacker than a 4-3 end. I am disappointed that I didn’t get to see him drop into coverage much, but he looks comfortable in space.

His spin move is his favorite move and he uses it more than most defensive lineman to varying degrees of success. He had a couple very nice spin moves, but a couple were stood up well by the offensive lineman. He needs to develop a wider repertoire of pass rushing moves. He’s having a first round type season and looks to be on pace to have 15+ sacks and 20+ tackles for loss.

However, my worries with him are lack of competition (he has yet to face an elite left tackle and unfortunately Illinois does not play Iowa and Riley Reiff), lack of a track record (only one good season), a thin repertoire of pass rushing moves, and his weakness against the run. If he has the kind of numbers he’s projected to finish the season with, 15+ sacks and 20+ tackles for loss, he could go in the top 15 as a 3-4 linebacker or a 4-3 end. However, for now I have a borderline first round grade on him with the ability to move up into the top 20 or top 25.

As for AJ Jenkins, I’m disappointed I didn’t get to see all he can do. Illinois’ offensive line was getting destroyed by Penn State’s defensive line all game in this ugly 10-7 win for Penn State so Illinois wasn’t doing a lot through the air. Jenkins had 6 of his team’s 13 catches for 43 of his team’s 93 yards through the air.

He lined up in different spots on the field, in the backfield, out wide, in the slot. He looks like a natural slot receiver at the next level. At 6-1 195, he’s not the biggest receiver and he doesn’t look overly fast, but he’s having a hell of a season even after this weak performance with 68 catches for 1030 yards and 7 touchdowns in 9 games. He has nice hands, knows how to get open, runs great routes, and also run blocks very well for his size, an added bonus with a slot receiver. He looks like a solid 3rd round pick with the potential to move up into the 2nd round if he continues his high level of production against tougher competition.

Another playmaker on Illinois’ offensive who stood out to me at times is Illinois senior running back Jason Ford. He rushed for 100 yards on 24 carries despite being bottled up for most of the first half by Penn State’s awesome defensive line. Penn State was winning the battle at the line of scrimmage all game, but Ford still was able to give a solid game with strong, hard nose between the tackle running. He also showed good burst for a 235 pounder. On the season he has 492 yards and 6 touchdowns on 125 carries. This was his best game of the season so I look forward to see if he can continue this. If he can, he could be a solid day 3 pick because of his combination of size, speed, and pass catching ability (14 catches on the year).

Speaking of Penn State’s awesome defensive line, they were winning the battle at the line of scrimmage and in the backfield all night. Devon Still was in the backfield on every other player. On the year, the senior defensive tackle has 47 tackles, 15.5 for a loss, and 4 sacks in 9 games. At 6-5 310, he also has great size against the run. In a weak defensive tackle class, he could end up being the first one taken. He fits as a 3-4 defensive end really well as well.

 

Illinois/Michigan

stevenlourie Uncategorized

Spotlight #1: Michigan DT Mike Martin

Spotlight #2: Illinois CB Tavon Wilson 

1st quarter

14:17: Wilson can’t disengage from a block fast enough to make a tough tackle on the running back in space, chases back from behind, able to bring him down after he’s slowed up by another man, but not before 68 yards.

13:15: Wilson can’t disengage off a block in the end zone quick enough to come up and stop a Denard Robinson rushing touchdown.

13:09: Martin ties up two blockers as Michigan is able to collapse the pocket.

12:23: Martin one of several applying pressure on Illinois’ quarterback forcing 3rd down throw away and punt, quarterback evades first couple pressures, but cannot evade Martin, who forces the throw away.

11:24: Wilson comes up and gets a tackle on a scrambling Robinson for a short gain. Good run support.

10:39: Mercilus does a great job of stopping a Robinson scramble on 3rd and 2, short, forces punt.

9:58: Martin creates a pile to stop scrambling quarterback for a short gain.

9:02: Martin in on a pile forcing the running back backwards on an inside run on 3rd and 1, punt.

8:14: Wilson comes up and combined on the tackle on the back in the open field after a short dump off, goes for 8.

7:11: Wilson shows willingness to stick nose in on a pile in the backfield, tackling ball carrier for a loss on a screen. Not the one making the play, but like to see the willingness.

4:20: David Molk with a great block to spring a big run up the middle.

3:15: Martin helps create a pile on the line for no gain.

2:33: Martin draws double team, knocks a guy over, gets free, nothing comes of it, but still impressive power.

2:27: Martin gets a tackle for a short gain, another 3 and out for Illinois, 3rd straight to start game.

1:44: Wilson comes up and makes the tackle on the back for a medium sized gain.

1:05: Wilson is the last one to hit Robinson before he goes down for a gain of 10 after an inside run.

0:14: David Molk had a great first quarterback run blocking, Michigan ran very well in the first and had clear lanes up the middle on almost every inside run. Phenomenal blocking.

2nd quarter

14:34: Wilson has played a few snaps at safety in this one, did on this last play. Might be the 6-1 205 defensive back’s best position at the next level.

12:49: Wilson at safety powered out of the way by tight end Kevin Koger on the goal line, easy touchdown run by Robinson. David Molk with a great initial block on the play too.

12:23: Martin lines up on the center and draws a double again. 4-3 or 3-4 nose tackle would be his best position at the next level, good job to shed at least one block on this play.

11:57: Martin does a good job to help collapse pocket, quick throw by design though, completion, goes to AJ Jenkins.

10:30: Martin applies pressure and hits quarterback as he throws, still completion to Jenkins, who has 4 catches early despite a struggling Illinois offense. Jenkins short of stick though, 4 possessions, 4 punts for Illinois. Only 1 first down.

8:35: Wilson back at cornerback, allows 15 yard completion over the middle to Junior Hemingway.

8:02: Wilson on Kevin Koger, allows 39 yard touchdown deep. Robinson has attempted just 5 passes, 1 incomplete, 2 complete short, 2 complete longer, both thrown on Wilson. In his defense, this was a mismatch having to pick up the tight end in motion, but not a good play. Great play by Koger deep though. 2nd catch of the game.

5:39: Whitney Mercilus in on a tackle for loss on 4th and goal, turnover.

4:20: Wilson faked out by fake end around, needs to show better discipline than that.

3:55: Wilson blitzing, gets pressure, forces quarterback up, Mercilus hits Robinson as he throws, forces weak wobbly throw, immediately deflected, good instincts by Wilson on the deflection to pick it off, red zone pick.

3:52: Martin does a great job of bull rushing a double team.

3:17: Mike Martin drops into coverage here, didn’t look too bad, takes away short option on a play where Michigan got a sack and forced yet another Illinois 3 and out.

1:05: Mercilus hits Robinson as he throws, Wilson could have made a play on the ball, didn’t seem particularly interested in doing so and making at least an effort.

0:50: Martin does not take plays off, played the whole first half.

0:18: Martin couldn’t react to a juke well in the open field. Not the most athletic.

 

3rd quarter

14:13: Martin can’t quite get short tackle on eventual first down run.

13:40: Martin gets into the backfield with penetration on a run play again, gets himself in position to least attempt a tough play. So strong in the middle.

13:22: Martin gets into the backfield and shows great pursuit and discipline, eventually combines for tackle for loss after an option pitch. Good job staying with play.

12:38: Ryan Van Bergen with a sack, Martin lines up on the outside on the play and beats his man. Michigan’s defensive line is having a fantastic game.

9:55: Martin pressured quarterback well, puts hands up as soon as the quarterback releases, always like to see that.

9:36: Wilson sticks nose in on a pile.

7:17: Wilson with a nice open field solo tackle, almost broken, but wraps up and stays with it for gain of just of 3.

6:18: Mercilus with another pressure, just misses sack.

4:18: Martin gets pressure, forces step up against double team and hold with great bull rush.

3:54: Martin can’t disengage as quarterback scrambles past him.

2:36: Martin in on a tackle a good way away from the line, can’t quite prevent the 1st down on 3rd down on a quarterback scramble.

1:54: Jenkins almost makes a highlight reel 29 yard catch on a back shoulder throw on the sideline, but replay shows he didn’t control before going out of bounds, reversed.

1:45: Jenkins draws PI. He’s had a solid night, but as much as he’s been targeted with his quarterback basically forcing it to him all night, he should have better stats. Generally getting beat one on one by JT Floyd, a junior cornerback.

1:17: Martin in on a combined tackle for no gain.

4th quarter

14:25: Wilson with a tackle after a gain of 9.

12:53: Martin with a rare miscue, off sides penalty.

12:10: Martin faked out on a play action.

11:56: Martin gets a short solo tackle.

11:25: Martin one of two closing on quarterback as he throws, still complete.

10:54: Jenkins thrown to, picked off by JT Floyd, great job to jump route.

9:50: Martin falls in open field on a quarterback scramble.

5:47: Martin lines up on the outside, something he’s done on occasion, from 2 point stance and drops in coverage. He handles a complex scheme well.

5:41: Martin in on a combined sack with Van Bergen for a loss of 16 after quarterback breaks another sack.

4:52: Jenkins catches a conversion on 4th and 26, 32 yards. Jenkins has 8 catches for 102 yards, but 20 targets.

3:53: Martin in on a tackle after a gain of 3.

3:14: Wilson in on a tackle after a sizeable gain on the ground.

2:25: Wilson blocked off play on a long touchdown run to his side.

2:18: Martin in on a combined sack with Ryan Van Bergen again.

1:47: Martin forces quarterback up in pocket, scrambles, little to no gain, forces punt.

0:00: Michigan dominated this game 31-14 and it started upfront for them defensively. The two players who had the biggest impact were defensive tackle Mike Martin and defensive end Ryan Van Bergen. Van Bergen had a solo sack, while the two combined on another 2 sacks. Martin was a load against the run helping limit Illinois to just 37 yards on 33 carries. He’s a powerful bull rusher who can take on double teams on the inside. He looks like an ideal 4-3 nose tackle at the next level and at 6-1 305 he could play 3-4 nose tackle as well in the right scheme.

He’s not the most athletic player in the open field and he doesn’t have a ton of production with 60 tackles, 6 for loss, and 3.5 sacks and he’s not much of a pass rusher, but he’s going to be a great run stuffing 4-3 or 3-4 nose tackle at the next level. I was also impressed with how he handles Michigan’s complex defensive scheme, occasionally lining up at defensive end, rushing from a 2 point stance, and even dropping into coverage. He might even fit as a 3-4 defensive end at the next level.

Ryan Van Bergen has more production as a pass rusher with 45 tackles, 12.5 for loss, and 5.5 sacks, but he’s more of a run stopper than anything. The 6-5 285 pound defensive end would be best fit as a 4-3 left end or a 3-4 defensive end. He had a great game in this one getting consistent penetration against the run and the pass with 2 sacks and 3 tackles for loss.

Michigan has a few more draftable prospects on their team, center David Molk and tight end Kevin Koger. The undersized center Molk is a great run blocker at 6-2 285. He had a great game here, paving the way for Michigan to run for 223 yards and 3 touchdowns and 48 carries. Michigan did a good job in the open field too rushing, but their interior blocking, specifically Molk, was extremely impressive. If he had more size, he’d be a 2nd round pick, but at his size he’s probably a mid rounder. He’d be best fit in a zone blocking scheme. Kevin Koger showed himself to be a good blocker as well, but also caught 2 passes for 42 yards, even better when you see that Michigan completed just 8 passes all game. On the year, the 6-4 255 pound Koger has 23 catches for 244 yards and 4 scores on a run heavy offense. He’s a blocker first, but in this one showed great ability as a receiver one on one with cornerback/safety Tavon Wilson on the outside.

Wilson was the spotlight for Illinois. Michigan completed just 8 passes, but 2 of them were on Wilson, including that long one by Koger. He also allowed a solid gain to Junior Hemingway. He lined up all over the field, cornerback, nickel back, and safety, but he seemed too stiff in coverage to be a cornerback at the next level. At 6-1 205, he has good size, but would be a bit undersized for a safety as well and made his fair share of mistakes as a run stopper. He also showed below average physicality for a pro prospect at safety. He’s too much of a tweener to get drafted here and might even be an undrafted prospect in my eyes.

The top prospect on either side in this game is Illinois’ defensive end Whiteny Mercilus, the nation’s leader in sacks and a likely first round pick. Mercilus had a great game once again with one sack, several quarterback hits, including one that led to a red zone interception, and generally consistent pressure. He’s a phenomenal pass rusher and a consistent player who has had a sack in every game except 2, giving him 57 tackles, 22.5 for loss, and 16 sacks on the season. His main flaw is that he’s a one year wonder who came out of nowhere this season and normally I’m weary of one year wonders, but he’s such a good player. He can play either 4-3 defensive end or 3-4 rush linebacker at 6-3 265 and is even solid against the run. He could go as a high as the top 15.

The final draftable prospect on Illinois’ team is AJ Jenkins. Jenkins has 8 catches for 103 yards, but was targeted 20 times so he should have had more production. He, in general, lost the matchup with JT Floyd, a relatively unknown junior cornerback. He has great numbers, but is targeted so much for some reason. On the season, he has 90 catches for 1276 yards and 8 touchdowns at 6-1 195, but looks like a slot receiver at best at the next level and a potential mid round pick.

 

Ike Taylor Pittsburgh

stevenlourie Uncategorized

 

Nnamdi Asomugha got 12 million per year. Johnathan Joseph got just under 10 million per year. Antonio Cromartie was overpaid a bit with 8 million per year. Now Ike Taylor gets 7 million per year. Taylor is 31 and might not even be starting caliber if it wasn’t for the Steelers scheme, front 7, and Troy Polamalu. I have no idea why they overpaid him like this. It’s not like them. I know their pass defense isn’t very good, but I’m not sure it would have gotten a ton worse if Taylor had left because he’s not all that great. The only thing that saves this deal from being an F is that only 9 million over the 28 million over 4 is guaranteed so they didn’t guarantee a ton of this deal.

Grade: D