4 years 22 million dollars for an injury prone tight end might look like a bad idea at first, but really only 6 million of that is guaranteed so this is a contract with a lot of incentives that can’t hurt the Texans much if Daniels tears his ACL again. When healthy, Daniels is well worth this contract.
Grade: A
Updated 4/4/12
QB RB FB WR TE OT G C DE RLB DT NT 3-4 DE OLB MLB CB S K P
Scoring System
100 Once in a decade prospect
95-99 Elite talent
90-95 Solid top 10 pick
85-90 Solid first round pick
80-85 Late 1st-early 2nd
75-80 Solid 2nd round pick
70-75 Solid 3rd round pick
65-70 3rd-4th round pick
60-65 4th-5th round pick
55-60 5th round pick
50-55 6th round pick
45-50 7th round pick
40-45 Undrafted, invite to training camp
<40 No NFL Future
1. Zach Brown (North Carolina) 88
2. Lavonte David (Nebraska) 79
3. Sean Spence (Miami) 73
4. Terrell Manning (NC State) 72
5. Bobby Wagner (Utah State) 71
6. Nigel Bradham (Florida State) 70
7. Travis Lewis (Oklahoma) 67
8. Demario Davis (Arkansas State) 61
9. Emmanuel Acho (Texas) 60
10. Josh Kaddu (Oregon) 59
11. Keenan Robinson (Texas) 58
12. Ryan Baker (LSU) 55
13. Najae Goode (West Virginia) 51
14. Danny Trevathan (Kentucky) 49
Updated 4/20/11
QB RB FB WR TE OT G C DE RLB DT 3-4 DE NT MLB OLB CB S K P
Scoring System
100 Once in a decade prospect
95-99 Elite talent
90-95 Solid top 10 pick
85-90 Solid first round pick
80-85 Late 1st-early 2nd
75-80 Solid 2nd round pick
70-75 Solid 3rd round pick
65-70 3rd-4th round pick
60-65 4th-5th round pick
55-60 5th round pick
50-55 6th round pick
45-50 7th round pick
40-45 Undrafted, invite to training camp
30-40 Career practice squader
20-30 No NFL future
0-20 No football future
1. Von Miller 93 (Texas A&M)
2. Akeem Ayers 87 (UCLA)
3. Greg Jones 83 (Michigan State)
4. Dontay Moch 76 (Nevada)
5. Mason Foster 76 (Washington)
6. Bruce Carter 73 (North Carolina)
7. Chris Carter 70 (Fresno State)
8. Quan Sturdivant 68 (North Carolina)
9. Lawrence Wilson 65 (Connecticut)
10. Colin McCarthy 63 (Miami)
11. Mark Herzlich 62 (Boston College)
12. KJ Wright 58 (Mississippi State)
13. Ross Homan 57 (Ohio State)
14. JT Thomas 53 (West Virginia)
15. Brian Rolle 52 (Ohio State)
16. Doug Hogue 50 (Syracuse)
17. Eric Gordon 49 (Michigan State)
18. Jason Mouton 48 (Michigan)
19. Adrian Moten 47 (Maryland)
20. Jabara Williams 43 (Stephen F. Austin)
21. Cheta Ozougwu 42 (Rice)
QB RB WR TE OT G C NT DT 3-4 DE DE RLB OLB MLB CB S K P
Updated 4/17/10
100 Once in a decade prospect
95-99 Elite talent
90-95 Solid top 10 pick
85-90 Solid first round pick
80-85 Late 1st-early 2nd
75-80 Solid 2nd round pick
70-75 Solid 3rd round pick
65-70 3rd-4th round pick
60-65 4th-5th round pick
55-60 5th round pick
50-55 6th round pick
45-50 7th round pick
40-45 Undrafted, invite to training camp
30-40 Career practice squader
20-30 No NFL future
0-20 No football future
1. Sean Weatherspoon (Missouri) 88
3/1/10: A very good day for him, shaving about .1 second off of his projected 40 time with a 4.57, and also recording a 40 inch vertical leap and 34 reps on the bench press.
1/30/10: If there were a co-MVP, it would be Weatherspoon. He played middle linebacker for most of the game and that was where he indicated in an interview that he has best fit, but he really can play any 4-3 linebacker position, in addition to 3-4 middle linebacker, because hustle and vocal leadership don’t necessarily have a position and those are his signature traits. His coaching staff was raving ability his leadership ability all week and his hustle showed through on the field. On one play, Weatherspoon, a 241 pound linebacker, ran step for step with Mississippi’s Dexter McCluster, a 5-8 165 running back/wide receiver who is projected to run a 40 in the 4.3s, and trapped him in the corner of the end zone and broke up and almost intercepted the pass. He also had a late interception. His efforts were a huge part of the North’s front 7 domination and I think he has solidified himself as a 1st round prospect.
3 very solid years during his time at Missouri with 376 tackles, 12 sacks, and 4 picks in his last 3 years. His a very smart player on defense and a good leader on what was not supposed to be a good Missouri defense this year. He doesn’t play the most important position which will keep him out of the top 20, where he deserves to go, but he’s a solid athlete with good fundamentals and instincts, and can play both 4-3 outside linebacker spots, plus some 3-4 middle linebacker, so the versatility is there as well. He could be one of the best linebackers in the league in the near future.
2. Eric Norwood (South Carolina) 82
He has experience playing standing up at South Carolina, despite being a defensive end, and he has looked good dropping back into coverage on occasion as well so those are major pluses for rush linebacker prospects that can be so unpredictable. He also has 30 sacks in his 4 year career at South Carolina and had 7.5 this year, so he’s a good pass rusher as well, though not a great one. He’s versatile and can play 4-3 strong outside linebacker and maybe even some 3-4 middle linebacker. His 40 time for his weight could keep him out of the first round.
3. Roddrick Muckelroy (Texas) 78
Doesn’t get huge hype, but he was the leader of Texas’s defense this year and he’s a tremendous athlete. He has 182 tackles, 2 sacks, and a pick in the last 2 years, but he showed me a lot more than his statistics when I saw him on the field. He moves well and has great instincts. He can play middle linebacker in all schemes in addition to outside linebacker.
4. Daryl Washington (TCU) 76
An excellent refined linebacker for one of the most surprising schools in the country over the past two years, he will fit into any 4-3 scheme, but he’d be best in a cover 2 or zone. However, his lack of elite size 6-3 235, won’t allow him to play in a 3-4. He can play both weak outside linebacker and middle linebacker in a 4-3 and had by far his best year of his career this year with 109 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 picks, and a pick six.
5. Sergio Kindle (Texas) 74
He’s former top 10 pick prospect, but he only managed 6 sacks this year without Brian Orakpo drawing double teams across from him, after having 10 sacks last year. He’s still a highly rated defensive prospect and would make a great rush linebacker with his athleticism and the fact that he already played some outside linebacker in college so he has experience with his hands off the ground and dropping back into coverage. He’s a solid tackler and big hitter as well so he can play some strong outside linebacker in a 4-3.
6. Perry Riley (LSU) 74
Could run a low 4.5 40 at 6-1 245 which could make Al Davis draft him in the 2nd round if he decides he needs linebacker help. Riley comes from a physical system at LSU and though he hasn’t tapped into all of his potential yet, he has very good upside. His size should allow him to move to 3-4 middle linebacker if needed, though his coverage skills are really raw. Riley finished his senior year with 97 tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception.
7. Navarro Bowman (Penn State) 71
3/1/10: Put on some weight which led me to move them up my chart. However, didn’t carry the weight well. Ran a 4.72 so I’m moving him back down.
2/27/10: Expected to weigh in at 228 pounds, Bowman weighed 242 and appears to have bulked up in a good way since the end of last season. If this doesn’t effect his 40 time, this will help him because it increases his scheme versatility.
If scouts can look past his lack of size, 6-1 228, and his history of legal issues, this former 1st round talent could be drafted in the 2nd round and could be a steal. More likely, he’ll be drafted in the 3rd round on upside and most likely be a team that uses a zone defense. His lack of size won’t be as much of a problem in a zone scheme and his speed and ability to drop back into coverage will be utilized more fully. Bowman has 199 tackles, 7 sacks, and 3 picks in his last 2 years, but I’m puzzled by his decision to declare this year because another good trouble free year could have meant 1st round, especially if he bulked up.
8. Dekoda Watson (Florida State) 70
3/1/10: Another guy with impressive measurables. He’s seen as a bit of a small linebacker out of Florida State, which doesn’t hurt considering Ernie Sims and Derrick Brooks were as well. He appears to have bulked up going up to 240 pounds, but carried the weight well with a 4.53 40, 24 reps of 225 pounds, and a very impressive 40 inch vertical. He’s a linebacker with good field range and the athleticism of a running back. He should be a solid 3rd rounder.
1/30/10: He’s undersized, but he was a tough matchup for blockers because of his agility and quickness as a linebacker. He made a few nice stops on outside runs.
Obviously he’s going to get compared to Ernie Sims and Derrick Brooks because, like Sims and Brooks, Watson is a small outside linebacker from Florida State. He doesn’t fit a lot of schemes, but would fit a cover 2 scheme best. He didn’t impress me this year when I saw him and he did only have 63 tackles this year, though his 7 sacks were interesting, but likely useless stats going forward and he’s way to small to be an NFL pass rusher. Despite his potential, I’ll have to grade him conservatively, because I never saw anything with him that wowed me.
9. AJ Edds (Iowa) 70
A big thumping linebacker at 6-4 240, but he can also do some nice finesse things as he had 5 picks this year and looked very comfortable dropping back into coverage when needed, especially for a man of his size. His production, though, was subpar with only 210 tackles in his last 3 years so he’ll be a 3rd or 4th round pick as a strong side linebacker.
10. Joe Pawelek (Baylor) 68
Check out these stats, in his 4 years at Baylor, Pawelek has 423 tackles, 6 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, and 9 picks. He will fit in both a 3-4 and a 4-3 scheme at the next level, but his timed speed will hurt his draft stock.
11. Jamar Chaney (Mississippi State) 64
3/1/10: He’s got 3-4 middle linebacker size at 242 pounds, but after running a 4.51, he’s also got 4-3 outside linebacker speed. He can really play anywhere as a linebacker in either scheme, 3-4 middle, 4-3 middle, and 4-3 outside. He also had a 39 inch vertical and a 26 reps on the bench, putting together one of the most impressive athletic displays of the day.
12. Kavell Conner (Clemson) 60
A very athletic linebacker who can play multiple positions and, at the very least, can be a solid depth linebacker. I could see him starting as a strong side guy as well.
13. Stevenson Sylvester (Utah) 54
Your run of the mill 5th round depth linebacker, a bit undersized, but good production at the good school with a good system that could provide some value depth on special teams and as a linebacker. He hasn’t shown me anything special that really wowed me.
14. Rico McCoy (Tennessee) 53
Very undersized at barely 220 pounds, but he has a ton of tackles over the past 2 years, 307, as well as 2 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, and a pick. He’s a good fundamental player, but he needs to bulk up and he doesn’t have great speed for his size either.
15. Rennie Curran (Georgia) 53
16. Daryl Sharpton (Miami) 52
17. Keaton Kristick (Oregon State) 50
18. Kyle Bosworth (UCLA) 47
19. O’Brien Schofield (Wisconsin) 45
20. Simoni Lawrence (Minnesota) 43
Tight End
Georgia
6-2 251
Draft board overall prospect rank: #64
Draft board overall tight end rank: #3
Overall rating: 73 (3rd round)
40 time: 4.75
Games watched: Georgia/LSU, Tennessee/Georgia
Positives
· 3 year starter
· Productive receiver (2009: 23 catches for 374 yards and 3 touchdowns, 2010: 26 catches for 422 yards and 2 touchdowns, 2011: 45 catches for 574 yards and 5 touchdowns)
· A matchup problem in the seam – too fast for linebackers, too big for safeties
· Great hands
· Good route runner
· Good body control
· Big play threat in the big
· Athletic
· Plays faster than his 40 time (4.75)
· Versatile player who lined up in various different roles (in-line, h-back, split out wide, fullback)
· Hard worker who put on 10 pounds of muscle after the season
· 35 reps on the bench press
· Solid bulk
· Has the ability to develop into a good blocker
Negatives
· Disappointing 40 time (4.75 at his Pro Day)
· Mysteriously didn’t run at The Combine after putting on 10 pounds
· Wasn’t asked to block much
· Short (6-2)
· Arrested for DUI after this season
· Can be jammed at the line
· Short arms
NFL Comparison: Dustin Keller
Orson Charles played last season at 6-2 240, which is undersized for a tight end. However, he was a real matchup threat in the seam. He lined up at various different positions on the field was tough to cover for both linebackers (too slow) and safeties (too big). He had good hands and had a productive junior season. However, he was still undersized and rarely asked to be an in-line blocker.
After the season, he did a good job of getting up to 6-2 251 for The Combine and proved it was all muscle with 35 reps on the bench press. However, he mysteriously decided not to run the 40 and was just so-so in the drills. He then was arrested for a DUI. That’s a problem in of itself, but it’s also a sign that he’s not committed to the game. Anyone committed to the game would not have put himself in that position so close to the draft. After that, he ran a disappointing 4.75 40 at his Pro Day.
As a prospect, he reminds me of Dustin Keller. Keller was a first round pick in 2008 after putting up great numbers at The Combine. Charles didn’t do that, but he’s just as good of an athlete and a pass catcher, even if his athleticism didn’t show at The Combine. Keller is not much of a blocker even to this day. Charles has the ability to develop good blocking skills, but he’ll probably remain a subpar blocker throughout his career. In 2011, Keller led the Jets with 65 catches for 815 yards and 5 touchdowns. Keller also has Charles’ lack of height at 6-2, but he’s persevered.
In a weak tight end class, Charles will probably be the 3rd tight end off the board after Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen, though it’s possible that Ladarius Green will leap him because of Charles’ recent DUI. Still, he’s probably a 3rd round pick. He has the ability to contribute immediately in an Aaron Hernandez type role, though I didn’t make that comparison because I think Hernandez is a better player.
Well I guess we know why the Cowboys didn’t address the cornerback position early in the 2011 NFL Draft, despite Terence Newman’s age (33 in September), Terrence Newman’s struggles in 2010, and poor play from the nickel back slot in 2010. The Cowboys obviously didn’t see their play from the nickel back slot as poor. In fact, they saw nickel cornerback, Orlando Scandrick, as a future starter and replacement for Terence Newman, who is owed 21 million over the next 3 years after the 2011 season and could be cut next offseason.
Scandrick, a 2008 5th round pick out of Boise State, who is going into his 4th season and would have been an unrestricted free agent after the 2011 season, was given a 5 year 27 million dollar extension worth 10 million in guarantees today. To me, that makes no sense. Scandrick had the 9th highest quarterback rating against of any cornerback who played more than 25% of his teams snap last season.
He allowed 53 catches on 77 targets for 530 yards and 7 touchdowns to just 1 interception, good for a quarterback rating allowed of 113.0. Keep in mind, he was doing this as a nickel cornerback, lining up against the opponent’s slot receiver, in every game except for 1 last season. I have no idea why they view him as a future starter and why they gave him 27 million over 5 years. No one out there would have given him anywhere near that had he tested the market next offseason. Even if he does become a solid starter for them, they at least jumped the gun on this extension.
Grade: F
So let me see if I got this straight. The Bears offered Kreutz 4 million. He refused, demanding 500K more. The Bears didn’t give him that. Their players, Kreutz’ former teammates, were not happy about this and it looked like it upset the team’s all important chemistry. The Bears then went out and signed Chris Spencer for 2 years 6 million. Today, with options running out, Kreutz accepts a deal for the Saints for 2 million dollars with incentives that max out at 4 million, what the Bears offered him. Sounds like a lose/lose, except for the Saints who are getting a solid veteran center at a cheap rate. He’ll give them an upgrade over projected starter Matt Tennant, an inexperienced 2nd year player.
The Saints are quietly having a nice offseason, shoring up their defensive line (drafting Cameron Jordan and signing Aubrayo Franklin), shoring up their offensive line (resigning Jermon Bushrod and signing Olin Kreutz), fixing their running game (drafting Mark Ingram, resigning Pierre Thomas, signing Darren Sproles), getting rid of Reggie Bush’s contract, and all without breaking the bank.
Grade: A
Spotlight #1: Oklahoma DE Ronnell Lewis
Spotlight #2: Oklahoma TE James Hanna
1st quarter
13:32: Ryan Broyles with good hustle with a run block on a long run. James Hanna with a good job blocking to open the initial hole.
12:40: Lewis doesn’t go down on a cut block, gets pressure, forces the throw.
11:34: Lewis was one of several closing on the quarterback, forcing a quick throw.
8:18: Lewis has a guy blow past him on a long run. He needs to close quicker.
6:46: Hanna with a good pass block.
0:36: Hanna allows a pressure in pass protection.
2nd quarter
14:13: Lewis not fooled by a trick play, tackle for loss.
12:07: Lewis disengages and falls on a guy who already slipped.
10:57: Broyles fumbles. This is the 2nd straight week he’s done that.
9:07: Lewis is one of several who hits the quarterback as he throws, forcing intentional grounding. Lewis was slow off the snap, but rebounded.
6:40: Lewis explodes in for a tackle for loss on a slow developing play.
6:02: Lewis gets a hand in the quarterback’s face.
3:20: Lewis unblocked on a tackle for no gain, dragged a yard or two and could have been a tackle for loss.
3rd quarter
11:12: Hanna struggles in pass protection, gets one on one assignments and needs help.
8:14: Lewis throws his man, gets into the backfield on 4th and 1 in Texas Tech field goal range. Tackle for loss, no conversion. He gets the first hit and brings him down.
7:31: Landry Jones under pressure, throws an off balanced throw, picked off.
0:08: Hanna starts out blocking, disengages, runs a route, catches one open short, powers forward a through a defender for the first down.
4th quarter
12:12: Lewis gets a hand in the quarterback’s face, forces quicker release.
11:21: Jones almost has another pick under pressure.
10:03: Lewis helps Frank Alexander on a sack and a near forced fumble, quarterback was down first.
7:10: Hanna can’t hold onto one after a hit against tight double coverage.
1:19: Hanna makes a tough catch for a good chunk of yardage, laying out for it.
1:10: Hanna in the seam, catches a touchdown for 22 yards. Ryan Broyles flagged for unnecessary roughness after the touchdown for retaliating.
0:00: This game was Oklahoma’s first loss and a huge upset, considering Texas Tech was unranked at the time and undefeated Oklahoma was a legitimate National Championship contender. As you can expect, Landry Jones didn’t play well. He was 30 of 55 for 412 yards, 5 touchdowns, and a pick. Not awful, but not as good as he had been and not good enough to win.
Jones didn’t have a lot of help. He was under pressure a lot and really didn’t respond to the pressure well, throwing one off balance pick and almost a 2nd. His receivers also dropped a lot of passes, including the normally sure handed Ryan Broyles. Broyles dropped 2 passes and also fumbled for the 2nd week in a row. He also had an unnecessary roughness penalty in a key time. He also had a great run block and 7 catches for 84 yards, but that was one of his lowest yardage totals of the last 2 years and not great considering Oklahoma threw 55 times. Broyles is still underrated in my book, but this game was very uncharacteristic for him.
Another receiver who dropped a pass for Jones was James Hanna. Hanna was targeted 4 times and he wasn’t targeted at all until the 2nd half. He dropped one of those targeted, but it was a tough catch against double coverage. He also made up for it with an amazing catch where he laid out for a big gain. He also had a 22 yard touchdown and a short catch that he took for a first down with a powerful run after. It wasn’t the best receiving day with 3 catches for 49 yards and a score, considering how much Oklahoma passed, but he showed some promise as a receiver. On the season, he had 25 catches for 363 yards and 2 touchdowns. This is after 18 catches for 292 yards and 7 touchdowns last year. Considering the offense he’s in, those numbers aren’t great, but he has some upside as a receiver.
As a blocker, there was some good and bad. He started out really well in both run and pass blocking, but declined as the game went on in both phases of the game. At 6-4 243, he’s not the biggest guy and he needs to add more functional strength and become a better blocker at the next level. He could get drafted late as an h-back or pass catching tight end.
Defensively, both of Oklahoma’s defensive ends had good games and got consistent pressure. Frank Alexander once again looked better than Ronnell Lewis. Alexander is about 15 pounds bigger and has been a better pass rusher this season, consistently getting more pressure against a tougher matchup (he’s normally the right end, taking on left tackles). His stats are also better. On the season, Alexander had 51 tackles, 18 for loss, and 8.5 sacks. He absolutely abused Andrew Datko earlier this season. Datko was a first round pick potentially before he got hurt. Lewis has 60 tackles, 13 for loss, and 5.5 sacks, though he’s missed 2 games with injury, but that should hurt his draft stock as well.
Alexander looks like an early 2nd round pick, while Lewis is a 2nd or 3rd rounder, a fringe guy. He’s probably a 3-4 guy solely as a rush linebacker at 6-4 243, but he could also play 4-3 outside linebacker, which he also played in college. He got a good game, but not as good as Alexander, and really looked slow off the snap at point. He doesn’t have the quickest first step and I wonder how he’d do against left tackles.
Spotlight #1: Oklahoma QB Landry Jones
Spotlight #2: Oklahoma OLB Travis Lewis
1st quarter
14:42: On the first play of the game from scrimmage, Jones goes deep and completes it to Broyles for 40 yards. Great run after the catch by Broyles too.
13:51: Jones completes it for 10.
13:28: Jones completes it for another 14. He’s really moving the ball well early, but he hasn’t made an amazing throws yet.
12:28: Jones on a 4 yard slant to Kenny Stills on 2nd and 13.
12:17: Jones throws an inaccurate fade to a well covered man. Not the best decision.
10:45: Lewis drops in coverage with a tight end and covers him well.
10:21: Lewis takes a bad angle on an outside run and doesn’t show a lot of effort after getting blocked.
9:26: Jones under pressure, takes a hit, and just throws the ball away. Good strength getting that one off.
9:20: Jones to Stills for a short gain, Stills is able to get a few more on a nice spin off. 3rd and 2 now.
8:46: Jones audibles, moves a man over the left and then hits him wide open on 3rd and 2 for the first.
8:22: Jones short to Stills, complete.
7:13: Jones flushed from the pocket under pressure and he has to throw it away, incomplete out of the back of the end zone. Oklahoma will settle for a field goal again.
7:02: Lewis covers a short man.
6:35: Lewis takes a good angle on an outside run and gets in on the tackle.
5:02: Lewis tackles a receiver on the outside after a big gain on a pass to the flat.
4:32: Lewis has a tackle broken. It wasn’t really poor tackling, but the running back is so strong.
1:59: Jones throws deep to a double teamed Ryan Broyles, who Texas is using bracket coverage on. Jones overthrew it anyway.
1:52: Jones goes short this time to an open man, who is able to get the first after the catch.
1:20: Jones fakes the handoff to the running back and then hits the running back open in space for a nice pickup and a first down.
0:11: Jones throws a touchdown, but it’s called back on an illegal formation.
2nd quarter
14:56: Jones pump fakes to a screen, defensive back bites just enough for a man to get wide open in the end zone and Jones hits him, touchdown.
13:52: Tony Jefferson with his 4th interception in just over a game. The sophomore is a future top safety prospect and playing like it.
12:41: Jones on 1st and 25 with a miscommunication with his receiver and an ugly incompletion.
12:37: Jones incomplete out of bounds.
12:33: Wow. Jones on 3rd and 25 throws a perfect spiral and he gets the first deep. This wasn’t a great play after catch by his receiver or anything, this was all throw by Jones on an NFL type play, 4 deep routes against man coverage.
11:48: Jones throws the fade to Kenny Stills, who catches it at its apex, but he’s not able to hang onto it. Tough catch, tough throw.
11:43: Jones redeems himself this time with a throw to Ryan Broyles in the front corner of the end zone. Broyles, another potential high pick, had great position and does a great job and going low for the ball and keeping it in the end zone.
9:24: Jones has a pass dropped by Stills and batted up in the air and almost intercepted. This should have been a catch.
9:17: Jones throws it short on first down.
8:59: Jones checks down to the back, who takes it for a fresh set of downs.
8:49: Jones under pressure, throws against his body off his back foot for a screen that goes for 20 yards.
8:32: Jones throws into tight coverage, hits the receiver in the hands, but the hit after catch knocks the ball out. Jones’ mechanics and accuracy are awesome.
8:28: Jones under pressure throws a very inaccurate ball out of bounds. It looked like he was trying to set up a check down, but panicked and completely overthrew him.
8:01: Jones under pressure, sacked, goes down very easily on this one.
6:13: Jones underthrows a guy on a medium to deep route.
4:53: Lewis with great closing speed on a tackle, but he isn’t able to bring him down himself. He does enough to slow him up for someone else to tackle him for a short gain on a play that could have been a lot more without Lewis’ speed.
2:29: Jones with a completion on a short slant. He throws a lot of short stuff, but he’s been impressive on intermediate and deep routes as well and he’s shown great accuracy and footwork.
1:08: Jones dumps off under pressure and the receiver is able to take the ball, make some moves, and get some big yards.
0:45: Jones deep to Ryan Broyles.
0:31: Jones to Stills on a fade in the corner of the end zone. Jones has 305 yards and it’s not even halftime. More importantly, he’s spreading the ball around. He’s got great receivers, but he’s making them look better and not locking onto targets.
3rd quarter
14:41: Lewis in on a tackle again.
13:35: Lewis with a quarterback pressure on a blitz on a play in which the quarterback fumbles for 6 points for Oklahoma.
11:48: Jones throws to the back in the flat, but it doesn’t go anywhere.
11:26: Jones not on the same page with Stills deep and it’s overthrown and closer to a Longhorn than anyone.
11:20: Jones on 3rd and 21, makes a nice completion, but it’s short of the sticks. Smart, safe move with a 41-10 lead.
1:39: Jones complete against the sideline to yet another new receiver. He’s completed passes to 9 different receivers tonight.
1:10: Jones complete underneath. They’re not holding back. They’re going to let him keep throwing.
0:46: Broyles with the completion short from Jones.
0:16: Jones goes deep and could have had a completion if it wasn’t for a pass interference penalty, thought it might have been a bit overthrown anyway. Jones throws a pretty spiral deep.
4th quarter
14:30: Jones puts one in a decent spot, a little high, on a deep throw, but it’s off the receivers’ hands.
14:11: Jones completes one on 3rd and 4 near the sideline for a first.
14:08: Jones has a ball batted down at the line.
13:16: Jones incomplete deep to a well covered Ryan Broyles.
12:30: Lewis takes a poor angle to the ball carrier. He heads up field, but if he had continued to the sideline, he could have gotten a tackle and made the gain a lot shorter.
9:16: Lewis in on a tackle far from the line of scrimmage.
6:39: Landry Jones has been pulled with a 55-10 lead.
0:00: I will be revisiting Matt Barkley next week, but for now, I’d say Landry Jones is better than him. Jones doesn’t have the strongest arm, but he has good arm strength and excellent accuracy and footwork. He doesn’t go deep a lot, but when he does, he looks good on deep and intermediate routes. He throws a lot of short stuff in Oklahoma’s system, but he’s not just a short stuff guy. He has great receivers around him, but he makes them look better and he spreads the ball really well. Despite not finishing this game in a huge blowout, Jones went 31 of 50 for 367 yards and 3 touchdowns and he had over 300 yards at halftime, when this game was already over basically. I’d say Jones looks better than Sam Bradford did in his junior year at Oklahoma.
As for Travis Lewis, he flashed at times with great speed and excellent closing speed, but his motor and the angles he takes towards the ball carrier aren’t great. He has great stats and showed great toughness coming back from a broken foot so fast and he looked very healthy in this game. He’s a bit undersized, but he drops into coverage extremely well. He can stay on the field on all 3 downs and do a little bit of everything, but discipline is a weakness for this first round caliber player.
Spotlight #1: Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon
Spotlight #2: Texas A&M WR Jeff Fuller
1st quarter
14:11: Jeff Fuller is targeted for the first time tonight. Ryan Tannehill’s pass sails on him. No chance for Fuller. Fuller is tall, but not that tall.
11:30: Blackmon drops a pass on the sideline. He needs to make that catch.
11:23: Blackmon holds on to this one. Catch short in coverage. Blanketed and can’t make the first. 3rd and 1.
11:02: Blackmon catches the ball on the flat and runs for the first down.
4:55: Blackmon is getting pissed at his quarterback for not getting him the ball.
3:03: Not Jeff Fuller, but Ryan Swope is another junior receiver for Texas A&M. The slot receiver had as many catches as Fuller did last year, 72, and he leads the team this year with 14 in 2 games. He’s got 2 catches tonight, both out of the slot, and shows nice moves in the open field. He could be someone to watch in the future.
2:49: Fuller drops a pass now. This one was bad.
0:50: Blackmon gets the target this time, but quarterback Brandon Weeden makes a bad decision throwing to him. Blackmon is double covered and completely blanketed. No chance and almost picked. Bad on Blackmon for not being able to get separation here. The cornerback ran with him the whole time.
2nd quarter
13:06: Ryan Swope again with the catch. Jeff Fuller isn’t doing anything, but Swope is.
12:45: Fuller targeted, unable to come up with the catch. It would have been a tough catch, but he should have made that, even with a guy breathing down his neck.
11:11: Swope with his 4th catch of the game. He’s been Texas A&M’s best receiver tonight, by far, over Jeff Fuller. He’s been getting open underneath and showing soft hands.
10:34: Fuller finally does something. He goes over the middle and makes a big touchdown catch. He attacks the football with a defender on him and snatches the ball out of there. Excellent catch. 17 yard touchdown.
10:22: Blackmon does something. Weeden with perfect timing with Blackmon on a slant. Weeden threads the ball between two defenders perfectly and Blackmon shows his speed on the run after catch. 20 yard catch for Blackmon.
7:15: Fuller catches the ball on a curl route, but accidentally steps out of bounds before he can go anywhere with the ball.
6:20: Tannehill looking for Fuller, but the ball is inaccurate out of bounds. No chance for him.
1:08: Weeden finds Justin Blackmon down field matched up with a safety over the middle of the field for a pretty big gain.
3rd quarter
14:52: Blackmon with the poor effort on an outside run block, just lets his man get free to tackle the ball carrier on a sweep play.
14:27: Blackmon targeted, but unable to come up with the ball. He wasn’t open against double coverage. He did give it his best effort, but it was a very tough ball to catch.
13:37: Blackmon much better on this outside run block, keeps his man sealed off inside to open an outside seam for the runner.
11:13: Jeff Fuller catches a first down dump off for 6 yards.
9:15: Blackmon catches the ball over the middle of the field against loose man-to-man coverage. When he’s been single covered tonight, he’s burned them. However, Texas A&M’s defensive coordinator has done an amazing job of making Blackmon a relative non-factor with double coverages. He has 5 catches for 69 yards.
7:33: Justin Blackmon catches a touchdown in the front corner of the end zone. Nice job catching it and staying in bounds, but he doesn’t bring the ball to his chest after catching it. He leaves it out and it gets knocked out, out of bounds when he’s hit. Poor fundamentals there. Still a nice touchdown grab.
6:09: Blackmon cuts across the field and gets open for a short catch followed by a nice run for a first down. He’s a very physical runner.
5:12: Blackmon catches it in the flat, avoids a couple tackles, and almost gets the first on 1st and 10. The ball was thrown high by Weeden and Blackmon had to go up and get it.
3:12: Jeff Fuller and a defensive back both catch the ball and the defensive back rips the ball out of his hands for the interception. If you’re the receiver there, you have to come up with that ball. You don’t let the defensive back steal it out of your hands.
2:59: Blackmon catches it over the middle of the field and then runs backwards for a few yards trying to break the back one, but almost loses first down yardage. He went way too far back there. He needs to know when to give up and head up field on a play like that.
1:51: Blackmon catches the ball in space and has an easy touchdown, but loses the ball untouched before he gets a touchdown. He needs to take the ball and tuck it away. He keeps running with the ball out like a loaf of bread. Very poor fundamentals. He should have had 7. Instead A&M gets the ball back. Absolutely inexcusable.
4th quarter
14:11: Weeden looking for Blackmon in the end zone, but Blackmon is blanketed and Weeden is inaccurate on the pass. Blackmon had position and could have made the catch, but Weeden didn’t put it in the right spot.
10:43: Oklahoma State wide receiver Josh Cooper with his 11th catch of the night, 1 more than Blackmon. He’s been impressive tonight as their #2 receiver. He’s more of an underneath guy, but with now 25 catches on the season and 68 last season, he could be a late round pick.
7:13: Blackmon catches the high ball in the flat on 3rd and goal and has blockers in front of him, but a big hit keeps him out of the end zone.
6:16: Jeff Fuller with just his 4th catch of the today, short of the first down and goes nowhere after the catch. He’s been a relative non-factor. Maybe his hamstring problem is slowing him down.
6:03: Fuller targeted, but unable to come up with the low ball in the flat.
5:58: Fuller targeted again, but it’s on a throw just tipped at the line that falls very short.
5:21: Fuller has his 5th catch on a short catch on 2nd and 5 for the 1st. Oklahoma State is playing a zone prevent defense right now so they’re just giving him short gain.
5:03: Jeff Fuller unable to make the deep catch with Broderick Brown blanketing him once again. The hamstring might be part of the problem, but Brodrick Brown isn’t helping. The 5-8 cornerback is somehow outplaying the 6-4 receiver. Brown is a mere junior and given his size, I doubt he leaves early. He’s having a right game, but the demand for 5-8 cornerbacks in the NFL is pretty small.
2:43: Fuller having a nice drive and is able to get his 2nd touchdown of the night on a short 4 yard score.
0:00: This was supposed to be a matchup between stud wide receivers. I came away disappointed with both of them. Jeff Fuller was battling a hamstring injury, which could have explained his 6 catch, 55 yards, 2 touchdown performance. He dropped a pass and just couldn’t get a lot of separation. Slot receiver Ryan Swope looked better than him as he has for the entire season. Swope leads the team in receptions and could be a late round pick.
Justin Blackmon had better stats, with 11 catches for 123 yards and a score, but he fumbled in the red zone which cost them 7 points and he dropped a pass. Texas A&M clearly frustrated him with double coverage and he became very frustrated with his quarterback for not getting him the ball, which led to quarterback Brandon Weeden trying to force things to him when he wasn’t open on several occasions. He also almost dropped a 2nd touchdown. He needs to improve his fundamentals and carry the ball in a safer way and avoid mental lapses. Also, unwarranted frustration with your quarterback is never a good thing. He’s obviously very talented, but this wasn’t his best game. 11 catches isn’t that impressive when you consider that Oklahoma State threw 60 times and had 47 completions.
This game also had mid round prospects at quarterback in Brandon Weeden and Ryan Tannehill. I wasn’t particularly impressed with either of them, but I thought Brandon Weeden had the better game. Tannehill had a very poor 2nd half. However, Weeden is 27 years old and a former minor league baseball pitcher. That’s definitely going to hurt his stock.
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