Rush Linebacker/Defensive End

Boise State

6-3 260

Draft board overall prospect rank: #29

Draft board rush linebacker rank: #3

Overall rating: 81 (1^st/2^nd round grade)

40 time: 4.62

Games watched: Boise State/Toledo, Boise State/Fresno State, Boise State/Arizona State

Positives

·         Great motor

·         Great instincts

·         Versatile (played middle linebacker, outside linebacker, and defensive end at Boise State)

·         3 year starter

·         2 years of good production (2010: 29 tackles, 12.5 for loss, 8.5 sacks, 2011: 50 tackles, 12.5 for loss, 7 sacks)

·         Experienced rushing from a 2 point and a 3 point stance

·         Good in coverage

·         Fluid hips

·         Good burst off the line

·         Good speed off the edge

·         Relentless in pursuit of the ball

·         Hard worker

·         Team leader

·         Passionate

·         Intelligent

·         All the intangibles

·         An excellent fit as a 3-4 rush linebacker

·         Destroyed Cordy Glenn, who could go in the first round, for 2.5 sacks

·         Plays well in space

·         Good 40 time (4.62)

·         Versatile weight (248 at the Senior Bowl, 260 at The Combine)

·         Good technique

·         Good hand use

·         Great feet

Negatives

·         Never had elite production

·         A bit of a tweener in a 4-3

·         Lacks the functional strength to hold up against the run as a down lineman

·         Not powerful

·         Level of competition

·         Not an elite athlete

·         More straight line fast than quick

NFL Comparison: Brooks Reed

Chandler Jones and Shea McClellin are the two late rising pass rushers who could end up in the first round. First it broke that the Packers were in love with him, but now it seems like he might not even get to them as both San Diego and New England could have a lot of interest in him. I understand the first round buzz with McClellin more than I do with Jones because I always thought McClellin as underrated when he was a 2^nd or 3^rd round prospect.

Right now I have a late 1^st round grade on him. He’s my 29^th ranked prospect and he should be properly drafted on draft day. He reminds me a lot of Brooks Reed who came out last year. Both Reed and McClellin drew comparisons to Clay Matthews, another late rising pass rusher who went to the Packers and had an immediate impact. Neither of those comparisons are quite warranted, but both make sense.

All 3 are versatile front 7 players without great size or athleticism, but great motors and, of course, versatility. Reed went in the early 2^nd round to Houston, but he had a solid rookie year and should continue to be a starter in Houston in 2012 with Mario Williams gone. McClellin is an ideal fit for a 3-4 because of his experience at linebacker and his comfortability in coverage. He could also play in a 4-3, but he’s a little undersized.

The Patriots would be the best fit for him of all the 4-3 teams because they are experienced in run a hybrid scheme in 2012 and they love versatile playmakers. They also, always, build their defense around their players and get the most out of their front 7 players. Green Bay and San Diego are two 3-4 teams with interest. Houston and Baltimore could be interested as well. Chicago could be interested as a 4-3 team. He’d be a solid fit for their cover 2 based defense.

 

Rogers is a one year stopgap at defensive tackle for a team who desperately needs a one year stopgap at defensive tackle and he’s getting paid, 4 million, like a one year stopgap at defensive tackle. Nothing wrong with this move.

Grade: A

 

By Matthew Frank

Center Shaun O’Hara is battling an ankle injury and might miss Sunday’s game against the Titans.  Backup Adam Koets would fill in for him if this is the case. 

This is not good news for the Giants at all.  They were already struggling with offensive line play for the first two weeks.  Losing a center can sometimes be devastating to a line since they are responsible for the blocking calls.  I don’t know much about Koets, but he hasn’t started in the four years with the team, so taking out a veteran like O’Hara can be devastating.

http://www.bigbluefootballreview.com/

By Dean Holden 

First, take that red flag popping up in the back of your mind, and burn it, along with the words “quarterback controversy.” 

I’ll tell you what this isn’t, and that’s me saying that Matthew Stafford won’t be missed, or that Shaun Hill isn’t a step down in talent level.

No, regardless of wins or losses, Stafford needs to play. His progression as a quarterback this season is far more important than the Detroit Lions’ win-loss record, which is why I could really care less if Hill goes 2-0, 3-0, or whatever-and-oh, depending on how long Stafford is out.

I’m not suggesting that Shaun Hill never loses a game as the Lions’ starter, I’m only saying that even if he does, Stafford still needs to get back ASAP. The Lions are his team, and nobody else’s. The more he plays, the better off the team will be.

That being said, let’s look at the facts, here. The move to bring Hill in as a backup quarterback was highly lauded when it was made, and for good reason.

Hill had reasonable success in a lackluster San Francisco 49ers offense last year, and was really only traded away (for a seventh-round pick) so that Mike Singletary could clear the path (and the competition) for former No. 1 overall draft selection, Alex Smith.

How’s that working out for you, San Francisco?

Don’t believe me about Hill’s success? Let’s consult the stat book. In 2008, when Hill started half the season (which was the most games he’s played in one season), he completed 62.8 percent of his passes for 13 touchdowns, eight interceptions, and 2,046 total yards.

Extrapolate that over the course of an entire season, and you have a stat line featuring 26 touchdowns, 16 interceptions, and 4,092 total yards.

Oh, and by the way, he has a 10-6 record as a starter on a team that, like the Lions, typically lost more games than it won.

I’ll leave out his solid preseason performance because, bah, preseason. But he wasn’t bad there, either.

I’m not saying the guy gets a Pro Bowl nod, or even that he provides a lift for the Lions in Stafford’s absence.

What I am saying is that he’s not as bad as he looked against the Bears. The Bears’ defense was simply swarming all day.

For starters, Hill had two turnovers, and neither one was his fault. The interception was on a deep route to Calvin Johnson, but Johnson tripped over the turf and fell down, making it look like Hill was throwing a fly route to Charles Tillman

Then there was the fumble. It’s always a bad thing to fumble inside your own five-yard line, but can we go ahead and admit that when the quarterback gets hit before handing the ball off on a dive play, somebody really, really missed an assignment?

Sure, Hill wasn’t a model of efficiency on Sunday, but then, who was?

Even Stafford was only able to score off of turnovers and great field position. Hill started most of his drives inside his own five-yard line, and it didn’t help that the running game had done approximately zero all day.

Yet, something that people tend to forget, amidst the anger about Calvin Johnson’s no-catch and the anxiety about Stafford’s injury, is that Shaun Hill, when given the ball and told to pass the team down the field, ran a masterful two-minute drill.

With under 90 seconds left in the game, one timeout, and starting from his own 17-yard line, Hill drove the Lions down the field and threw what was effectively a game-winning touchdown pass.

With all the emphasis on the catch, it’s easy to forget the pass. If you can stomach it, watch that play again. The pass is released with a high arc and lots of touch, giving Johnson enough time to run under it, gather himself, and out-leap Zachary Bowman by about a foot in the end zone. Perfect pass, perfect timing, near-perfect catch.

It’s wrong to think Hill will bring anything more than solid, steady backup play to the Lions. He won’t push Stafford for the starting job, and he won’t open anybody’s eyes to his vast, untapped potential. He’s a 30-year-old journeyman from Parsons, Kansas who played quarterback at Maryland, and went undrafted eight years ago.

He is what he is, and he’s not what he’s not.

He is a solid backup quarterback with a record of moderate success, who will likely play much better with a week of preparation and against a defense without Brian Urlacher.

What he’s not is any kind of long-term solution to anything except backup quarterback.

But then, he’s also not Daunte Culpepper.

http://bleacherreport.com/users/64307-dean-holden 

 

Shaun Ellis has spent 11 seasons in New York, piling up 72.5 sacks, and while being stout against the run. He’s had at least 5 sacks in 8 of the 11 seasons and at least 4 sacks in 10 of the 11 seasons. Earlier this week, the Jets offered him the veteran’s minimum to return for one year. Ellis must have been offended by that because now he will be lining up against the Jets twice a year (and possibly a 3^rd time) as a member of the hated rival New England Patriots.

Ellis had 4.5 sacks last year, plus 2 in the Jets’ playoff win over the Patriots. He’s well worth the 4 million over a year the Patriots are paying him. Not only do they weaken the Jets pass rush, they bolster their own and replace the production they lost when they cut Ty Warren, who failed a physical earlier this offseason.

Grade: A

 

Rush Linebacker/outside linebacker 

Texas

6-3 250

40 time: 4.65

Draft board overall prospect rank: #71

Draft board outside linebacker rank: #7

Overall rating: 74* 

1/21/10: 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.

Update (11/2/09): Without Brian Orakpo drawing double teams, Kindle only has 2 sacks this season.

            9/6/09: Kindle played both outside linebacker and defensive end for the Longhorns last season and had 10 sacks. He needs to put on about 10 pounds to play the line in the NFL and at this point he projects as a 3-4 rush linebacker. He could also play some 4-3 outside linebacker, but he has not shown that he has the ability to drop back into pass coverage well enough to be a true 4-3 linebacker. However, with the changes that are happening at the linebacker in the NFL, with more pass rushers moving to linebacker, Kindle could potential play 4-3 linebacker at the next level. Still, he is best as a rush linebacker in a 3-4. He has excellent straight line speed and has a great pass rushing repertoire. He’s a solid tackler and closing space in a hurry because of his great speed. He has his share of concerns as well. He recently crashed his car into an apartment building because he was texting while driving. However, NFL players have done a lot worse and this is probably just a stupid kid being a stupid kid and not something that will affect his draft status. No charges were pressed and Kindle only suffered a minor concussion. What is more of a concern is his inconsistencies on the field. He needs to prove that he can bring the pressure every play. He also needs to prove he can bring the pressure as the main pass rusher as he was helped out by playing in Brian Orakpo’s shadow last season. He’ll have a chance this year to prove he can do both of those things. With a strong season, he should shoot up into the top 10 of the NFL draft because of how many teams are switching to 3-4 defenses and how many of those teams need good rush linebackers. His athletic talent indicates an extremely high upside for him.

NFL Comparison: Kamerion Wimbley

*=For a breakdown of what this means, click here

This is the final fantasy update of the season, unless any unexpected cuts/trades are made.

QB Ben Roethlisberger UP

Ben had his suspension cut by 6 games to 4 on Friday. Ben has looked great this preseason and seems determined to do everything possible to not miss a beat with this suspension. He’s a solid QB1 for 12 games this year, rather than 10 and in the 12^th round of a 10 team league, where he is going on average, he’s a great backup if you’re not too sure about your starter.

RB Rashard Mendenhall UP

Just bumping all up the Steelers with Ben playing 2 more games. More Ben means less 8 man boxes and more red zone trips. He’s one of the few true feature backs in the NFL today.

WR Mike Wallace UP

An amazing player this preseason, Wallace gets his starting quarterback back 2 weeks earlier and thus is a great sleeper. He’s a WR2 when Ben’s in the lineup.

WR Hines Ward UP

Ward has long been Big Ben’s favorite receiver so he of course gets a stock boost with Ben’s suspension getting cut.

TE Heath Miller UP

Moving Ben’s TE up as well. Miller had a breakout year last year and is vastly underrated this year.

RB Leon Washington UP

Washington has been Seattle’s best runner this preseason and sat for rest purposes in the Seahawks 4^th preseason game. They have big plans for him and I expect him to be their lead back, though they will use 3 different backs frequently this year. He’s also a great pass catcher.

RB Justin Forsett DOWN

With Washington taking over as the lead back in Seattle, Forsett gets knocked down a bit. He’s still a decent option though.

WR Legedu Naanee DOWN

The Chargers have traded for Patrick Crayton who will likely cut into Naanee’s targets. 

 

RB Montario Hardesty DOWN

Injury prone Hardesty got hurt as soon as he was back, tearing his ACL. He will miss the season.

RB Jerome Harrison UP

Harrison will be the feature back in Cleveland this year. We all saw what he can do late last season. He looks poised for a huge year.

RB Peyton Hillis UP

Harrison is still undersized so they’ll want to use Hillis to spell him, and in goal line and short yardage situations. He should be drafted in almost every league.

Jets Defense DOWN

It is looking very possible that Revis holds out into the season and possibly for the entire season. Reports say Revis told the Jets we won’t show up ever again unless the Jets meet his contract demands., something they don’t, at least for the time being, appear willing to do.

RB Ahmad Bradshaw UP

Bradshaw will be the Giants starting running back this season and Brandon Jacobs will be his backup and likely get the goal line and short yardage carries.

RB Brandon Jacobs DOWN

Jacobs is officially Ahmad Bradshaw’s backup. He’ll probably still get a decent chunk of carries and the goal line carries, but Bradshaw is the guy you want in non-touchdown leagues.

WR TJ Houshmandzadeh DOWN

Housh will either be cut or traded in the next few days. Either way he’s going to a new team a week before the season starts so he’s not worth a fantasy pick. Offenses take too long to learn.

WR Mike Williams UP

Housh is out. Deion Branch is injury prone. That leaves Mike Williams and Deon Butler as the only two potentially fantasy worthy receiver on the team. Williams is more athletic than the 2nd year Butler, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Butler ended up the team leader in receiving yards.

WR Deon Butler UP

Not even a starter to start the year, but could end up being their leader in receiving yards when it’s all said and done. That’s how fluid the Seahawks’ receiver situation is. Don’t draft yet, but keep your eye on him. 

 

 

TE Owen Daniels UP

Daniels has been activiated from the PUP list and looks likely to start the season opener. There are definitely no guarantees that he will play all 16 games, but he’s very talented when healthy so he could be worth the risk as a TE1.

RB Maurice Jones Drew DOWN

MJD has knee soreness, but insists that he’ll be ready for the season opener. I also expect him to be ready for the opener, but I won’t have him in my top 3 as long as there’s a chance his missing a game or is slowed down by a knee injury.

WR Vincent Jackson DOWN

Many sources are reporting that Jackson has played his last game with the Chargers. He’ll have value if he’s traded, but until he is, let him be someone else’s problem.

WR Malcom Floyd UP

If Jackson has truly played his last game as a Charger, Floyd’s value goes up even more. He has certainly looked like a #1 receiver this preseason and could match Jackson’s 2009 numbers, 1167 yards and 9 scores.

 

WR Legedu Naanee UP

With Jackson out, Naanee would become a starter in the Chargers offense. He has looked decent in the preseason and has some late round upside.

TE Antonio Gates UP

Gates will become even more involved in the Chargers offense with Jackson out, especially near the goal line. That’s enough to push him over the top and make him my #1 tight end.

QB Philip Rivers DOWN

Floyd is a solid #1 receiver for him, but replacing Floyd with Naanee does hurt this offense. His receiving corps simply don’t look as strong without V-Jax. He’s already missing his left tackle Marcus McNeil, who is also holding out, so he is already due for a statistical decrease. 

 

 

DE Cam Johnson UP

Johnson is frustrating because he’s so inconsistent, but he’s been consistently awesome all week, winning most of his battles on the edge with a combination of power and speed.

OT Mitchell Schwartz UP

Schwartz was under the radar at California, but he’s been having a good week, especially today. Mike Mayock was intrigued by him and I’ve always been a fan of his. He could get some buzz on early day 3 given how valuable left tackles are. He’s athletic enough to play there potentially long term.

G Cordy Glenn UP

Cordy Glenn has stayed at tackle this week, rather than moving to guard, but he’s been impressive. He was inconsistent at left tackle last year for Georgia and struggled with some speed rushers, but I don’t see why he couldn’t be a right tackle in the right scheme at the next level. Teams will like his versatility early on day 2.

OT Zebrie Sanders DOWN

I’ve never understood the hype with him. He has his moments, but he’s not the fringe first round prospect he’s being talked about as. Sanders was inconsistent again today, losing more one on ones than a fringe first rounder should. He needs a lot of work.

C William Vlachos DOWN

Vlachos hasn’t looked good in one in ones. He also had a sloppy body on Monday in weigh ins. The Alabama center is slipping.

DT Tony Jerod-Eddie UP

TJE has really stood out in one on ones as someone who is better than where he’s projected. The 6-5 300 pounder has all the tools and is having a strong week. He looks like a natural fit as a 3-4 defensive end and could be a good value in the mid rounds.

MLB James-Michael Johnson DOWN

Mike Singletary was noticeable frustrated with Johnson in linebacker drills because his technique was awful. I’m surprised Singletary didn’t go on a rant about how he couldn’t win him, couldn’t play with him, or couldn’t coach with him, though if he did that he’d probably end up being a hero for a team in a playoff game.

 

RB Chris Polk DOWN

Polk has really struggled with blocking and pass catching these last two days. He’s a great runner and was an underrated prospect in my book coming into this week, but he’s not helping his stock by showing he’ll have trouble on 3^rd downs in the NFL.

TE Emil Igwenagu UP

Igwenagu got on everyone’s radar at the East/West Shrine Game, with good practices and a great catch in the game. A late add to the Senior Bowl, Igwenagu had some great catches today and the 6-1 242 pound tight end looked like a receiver. Someone will take him as an h-back or a fullback.

WR Marvin McNutt UP

McNutt has been one of the better receivers all week, but really stood out to me today as a run blocker. He was the best of the bunch in that regard.

CB Donnie Fletcher UP

Fletcher has been pretty neutral all week, but really stood out today. He’s a physical cornerback at 6-0 205 and would be best in a bump and run scheme. He could play safety, but made the case to stay at cornerback today. Mike Mayock was very impressed.

DT Kendall Reyes UP

Reyes has been very good all week and had his best day today. He’s great as a penetrator one on one, but struggles in games when double teamed and run at. Still, as a 3-4 defensive end, he’s a good pick in the 2^nd round. He’s not quite as valuable to a 4-3 team.

G Johnnie Troutman DOWN

Troutman was a head scratching selection to this game for me and he has really shown it this week. He looks overmatched out there in one on ones.

OT Mike Adams DOWN

There’s a lot of buzz around Adams moving into the first round, but I don’t see a first rounder. He’s a freak athlete at 6-7 320 and has dominant when he can get his hands on a defensive lineman, but his technique doesn’t hold up well against speed rushers.

 

 

MLB Audie Cole UP

I haven’t said a lot about the linebackers this week, but Cole is having a great weak. He looked very impressive in his weigh in and has shown that physicality on the field as well.

OLB Lavonte David UP

Another linebacker deserving some recognition, David was unstoppable in blitzing drills. He’s undersized at 225, but doesn’t have an ounce of fat on him and is a fantastic athlete.

CB Alfonzo Dennard DOWN

Dennard continued to not look like a first round pick at cornerback. He’s looked bad all week and struggled to turn and run with quarterbacks.

DT Mike Martin UP

Martin doesn’t quit on a play and that tenacity paid off big time today as he was one of the stars of the practice in one on ones. Martin beat almost everyone he faced, including one of the top center prospects, Mike Brewster.

C Mike Brewster DOWN

Brewster has looked awful thus far this week, continuing how he looked towards the end of the season. I don’t know what’s happened. He’s obviously frustrated because after a loss against Mike Martin, he started a fight with Martin. A temper is not something NFL scouts will like to see from him.

RB Chris Polk DOWN

It’s tough to turn much from a running back during practices because of the nature of their activities, but Polk looked overmatched in pass protection drills today. He’s one of the better running backs in the class, but he’ll slip some if he proves he can’t play immediately on 3^rd down.

WR Joe Adams UP

Adams got lost a bit at Arkansas with receivers like Jarius Wright and Greg Childs in the mix, but Adams was the only one of the 3 to get invited to this game. A dynamic punt returner, Adams is having a great week as a receiver as well, showed excellent moves in the open field and surprisingly savvy route running ability.

OT James Brown UP

I don’t know much about this kid, but he had a good practice. Mike Mayock is really a fan of him and mentioned that he was very good against Andre Branch and Clemson this season. He could be moving up into the mid rounds if he continues to play well.

WR Juron Criner UP

Aside from one amazing catch (the catch of the week so far), Criner has been average this week, but the catch does deserve some recognition. Criner is a big, powerful receiver with great hands who made some great catches at Arizona. Poor speed is his downfall.

 

QB Nick Foles DOWN 

Tough to evaluate the quarterbacks during the week because their just learning the offense, but Foles struggled with his deep accuracy all practice and even fumbled a snap, which doesn’t make sense because he played under center a lot at Arizona. He didn’t look like the 2^nd/3^rd rounder he might be, but he’s got time to make it up.

WR Jeff Fuller DOWN

This is the frustrating thing about Fuller. He looked excellent in weigh ins and in practice yesterday, but was one of the worst receivers out there today. Scouts won’t like his inconsistency and after a down senior year, Fuller could be looking at the 3^rd round or lower.

DE Melvin Ingram UP

His measurements aren’t pretty, but he was the one of the most dominant defensive linemen in one on ones today, which I guess is to be expected because he’s projected to go in the first round. Still, I moved him down yesterday so I’m moving him back up a little.

DE Courtney Upshaw UP

Upshaw was the other of the most dominant defensive linemen, which makes sense because he too is a projected first rounder. However, he didn’t play with his hand in the dirt much in Alabama’s 3-4 and he’s showing this week that he can play 4-3 down defensive end as well as 3-4 rush linebacker.

CB Dwight Bentley UP

Love when small school kids step up, Bentley shut down Jeff Fuller completely and Dwight Jones for the most part, two higher rated and bigger receivers. Size is still an issue, but he had a good day.

G Will Blackwell DOWN

Blackwell did not fare well in one on ones. He’s too undersized to take on defensive linemen one on one. If he has any shot in the NFL, it’s in a zone blocking scheme for the 290 pound 2^nd team All-American.

G Kevin Zeitler UP

Zeitler dominated in one on ones, but that’s nothing new. He’s a fantastic offensive lineman. What is new is that he’s been taking snaps at center. Position versatility is always a good thing and he’s showing he’s got it.

RB Doug Martin UP

Martin and Isaiah Pead were the best of the running backs in pass protection. Martin had a great finish to the season after he got healthy. He had a great junior year as well and is a load to take down in the open field because he’s in great shape and runs with great pad level. He’s a steal if he slips outside of the first 3 rounds.

RB Isaiah Pead UP

Pead disappointed me by measuring in at 193, but, as I said above, Pead was fantastic as a pass protector. He also caught 39 passes this season. He’s got a role as a 3^rd down back in the NFL, possibly even immediately.

DE Shea McClellin UP

McClellin might be too small for the 4-3, but he’s too fast and explosive to slip much with all of the 3-4 teams in the league. Someone is going to give this kid a shot as a 3-4 rush linebacker, especially considering he played some linebacker at Boise State and is comfortable rushing from a 2 point stance and dropping into coverage.

WR Marvin Jones UP

For the 2^nd straight day, Jones outperformed the late round label that was on him coming into this week. It’s possible he was just overshadowed by Keenan Allen at Cal this year.