Year: 2012

Seahawks/Bears

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By Ryan Glab 

Bears offense vs. Seahawks defense

Jay Cutler will return to action this week after sitting out last game due to lingering effects from the concussion he suffered against the Giants two weeks ago. That should immediately open up the passing game from what we saw last week when Todd Collins had a disastrous outing. What also will help is the return of Chris Williams, who has been moved inside to left guard to replace Roberto Garza, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery this week. Some are skeptical whether the move will work based on Frank Omiyale’s poor performance at guard last year after being moved inside from tackle, but at this point it makes sense to at least try. The difference between Williams and Omiyale is that Omiyale is a more natural fit at tackle whereas many scouts felt Williams would make a better NFL guard than tackle. We’ll see how that goes, but a more healthy and young Williams is an upgrade over a hobbled Garza. Last week, out of necessity, the Bears got the run game going and they stuck with it even when it started to stall in the middle of the game. Against the Seahawks, however, they’re probably not going to attempt to run the ball too much against Seattle’s No. 2 run defense. And why bother trying? The Seahawks have the second-worst pass defense in the league and Cutler should be able to pick apart the secondary with the help of a good game plan by Mike Martz. The past two weeks the Bears receivers have not been involved in the game plan much due to the beating Cutler took in the Giants game and the focus on the run game against Carolina. I expect Devin Hester, Johnny Knox, and Greg Olsen to have a more active role this week. Matt Forte will be included in the passing game as well.

Advantage: Bears

Bears defense vs. Seahawks offense

The Bears defense has inched its way up the rankings to No. 17 overall in pass defense, and following another solid outing against a good Panthers running attack, they’re back up to the third-best run defense in the NFL. Of course, the pass defense is always going to be deceivingly low because the rankings are based on yards and Lovie Smith’s defense will always give up large chunks of yards throughout a game. The two key stats to keep an eye on are rushing yards and points scored, and the Bears have the No. 6 defense in points allowed. Seattle, meanwhile, has scored the fifth-fewest points in the league through the first five weeks of the season, which means if the Bears can put a few touchdowns on the board, they’ll be in good shape. Twenty points seems to be the barometer for success. The Seahawks are woefully bad at running the football which is why they acquired running back Marshawn Lynch from the Bills last week. Lynch is a physical runner and the Bears no doubt will be hurting from the loss of Lance Briggs — if indeed Briggs does not play due to his ankle injury. Much like on the first drive of the Panthers game, you may see the Seahawks have some early success running the football as the Bears defense gets its feet wet. Over the course of the game, though, unless there is a big broken play, I don’t expect much success on the ground from Seattle. If Martz’s offense scores quickly and gets out to a comfortable lead, the Seahawks are going to have to throw to play catchup and they haven’t been very good in the passing game, either. Matt Hasselbeck is No. 22 in the league in passing yards and has thrown just four touchdowns to six interceptions. He also has a 70.7 quarterback rating, ranking him No. 29 in the league. Hasselbeck’s top targets are tight end John Carlson and former USC standout/Detroit Lions-Oakland Raiders-Tennessee Titans bust, Mike Williams. If Briggs does not play, I think it’ll help the Seahawks keep the game close as they should be able to move the ball more effectively, but the edge rests with the Bears defense.

Advantage: Bears

Special Teams

This is one of the few weeks where I can say the Bears are not clearly better than their counterpart on special teams. In fact, Seattle appears to have the edge. It’s most prevalent in the return game where former Jets running back Leon Washington leads the NFL with an average of 40.4 yards per return. He’s returned two kickoffs for touchdowns. In punt returns, rookie wide receiver Golden Tate is No. 4 in the league — among those returners with at least 4 punt returns — with an average of 18 yards per punt return. The Bears’ coverage teams haven’t been all that great this season, as evident by the punt return touchdown they allowed against Dallas. I still believe Danieal Manning is the best kick returner in the league, though, and Hester is one of the best punt returners of all time, so the Bears keep this one close. Seattle kicker Olindo Mare has converted all four of his field goal attempts this year whereas Robbie Gould has made 10 of 11. Seattle punter Jon Ryan has a better net average than Brad Maynard. Maynard, of course, has the directional punting advantage as he is No. 2 in the league with 12 punts downed inside the 20. It’s my belief that the Seahawks have the slight edge overall in this department.

Advantage: Seahawks

Intangibles

The Bears continue to be one of the least heralded teams in the league despite their 4-1 record. Most of this has to do with them not passing the “eye test,” whatever that’s worth. Frankly, I’d rather root for a team that looks bad winning than one that looks good losing. In the NFL, there are no multiple-game series like in the NBA, MLB, and NHL. All it takes is one win over one opponent at a time and as long as the Bears’ defense continues to play like it is — and as long as Cutler doesn’t get knocked out of any more games — the Bears have as good a shot as any to win a championship in this parity-driven league. This week against the Seahawks, they get Cutler back and that will clearly help them run a more balanced offense, or at least give the illusion of that if they’re not able to run the ball. We’ll get a firsthand look at the Jeremy Bates-led Seahawks offense. Bates, of course, was Cutler’s preferred choice for Bears offensive coordinator because the two worked together in Denver, but Bates ultimately spurned the Bears and joined Pete Carroll in Seattle. The Seahawks just don’t appear to have enough pieces on offense for Bates to excel, though. Having a home game this week after two straight road games will be a breath of fresh air, and with or without Briggs in the lineup, I think the Bears take care of business and advance to 5-1.

Advantage: Bears

Final Score: Chicago 23, Seattle 17

http://www.bearsbeat.com/ 

 

Seahawks 2011 Needs

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Free Agency Priorities

Quarterback

Charlie Whitehurst is the only quarterback on the roster as of now. I don’t think Whitehurst is very good at all, based on what I saw from him last year, so I think they should either resign Matt Hasselbeck or go after a veteran. They might do neither of those things and instead just add a backup as they have so much invested in Whitehurst to not give him a shot for a full season, but I think that would be a mistake. 

Defensive Tackle

Brandon Mebane is a free agent and they’re really thin at the position if they don’t resign him. I don’t know why they didn’t address this position through the draft.

Defensive End

Raheem Brock is a free agent and they don’t really have much of a replacement on the roster for him so they really need to either resign him so sign another impact player at the position. 

Cornerback

Kelly Jennings sucks and was part of the reason why they ranked 24th against the pass. However, they didn’t address the cornerback position early in the draft so he resigning him might be their best option at the position. 

Safety 

Mark LeGree might be just a 5th round pick, but sadly, he might offer an immediate upgrade over Lawyer Milloy. That doesn’t mean he’s good, so they might be best off adding a strong safety opposite Earl Thomas in free agency.

 

Draft Needs 

Quarterback

Matt Hasselbeck will likely be their starter next year. However, that doesn’t mean he’s going to play all 16 games or that he’ll be their starter in 2012. He’s a talented, but injury prone soon to be 36 year old (in September). Charlie Whitehurst had one good game against the Rams, but was terrible in every other chance he got to play. He couldn’t even move the ball on Tampa Bay’s banged up defense week 16. I don’t think Jake Locker falls past them at 25 and if Locker isn’t there, a guy like Ricky Stanzi is going to be there in the 2nd round. They can find a young quarterback.

Offensive Tackle

Though he was injured a lot this year, Russell Okung showed that if he stays healthy, he’ll be well worth the 6th overall pick in the 2010 draft at the end of his career. He shutdown Julius Peppers one-on-one twice, and that was with two bad ankles. However, Sean Locklear at right tackle isn’t very good at all and he’s a free agent. They need a replacement for him. If Locker isn’t there at 25, someone like Derek Sherrod could be the pick. Besides, their depth behind Okung at left tackle is pretty bad so if he were to get hurt again, they’d be screwed. They could double dip at this position.

Drafted James Carpenter (#25) 

Running Back

Their leading rusher in their loss to Chicago was a wide receiver, who got one carry.  Marshawn Lynch had that one amazing run against New Orleans, but he’s also wildly inconsistent. Leon Washington and Justin Forsett don’t have the size to carry the load. They ranked 31st in total rushing yards and 29th in YPA. Pete Carroll likes to go running back by committee so he probably wouldn’t draft one early, but I could see him adding another running back to the mix in the mid to late rounds.

Cornerback

They ranked 24th against the pass last year and Kelly Jennings is a free agent. They need to add a cornerback relatively early in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Drafted Richard Sherman (#154), Drafted Byron Maxwell (#173)

Safety

Lawyer Milloy’s performance against Chicago was almost as bad as Roman Harper’s performance against Seattle. He was completely mismatched against the athletic Greg Olsen. Of course that begs the question, why was Milloy, who will be 38 in November, starting at strong safety all year. I mean, the man was on Pete Carroll’s 90s Patriots teams. He was there before Carroll was. He was the Patriots’ strong safety BEFORE Rodney Harrison. Why did Carroll think this guy could cover Greg Olsen, who is one of the most athletic tight ends in the league?

Drafted Mark LeGree (#156) 

Center

Chris Spencer isn’t very good. Max Unger could slide in to the center spot, but that would leave a gap at right guard.

Drafted John Moffitt (#75) 

Wide Receiver

Matt Hasselbeck’s receivers really let him down against Chicago. Mike Williams is their #1 option, which is risky because of Williams’ past. Golden Tate was decent as a rookie. Brandon Stokley stepped up huge in the playoffs, but he’s 35 in June. Ben Obomanu is inconsistent and sounds like a Star Wars character.

Drafted Kris Durham (#107) 

Defensive Tackle

They stop the run well at full strength, but once guys started getting hurt, they struggled. Depth is needed. 

Defensive End

Like defensive tackle, they didn’t deal well with injuries at this position either. Kentawn Balmer sucks. 

Drafted Lazarius Levingston (#205) 

 

SD State/LA-Lafayette

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Spotlight #1: Louisiana Lafayette TE Ladarius Green

Spotlight #2: Louisiana Lafayette CB Dwight Bentley 

1st quarter

13:43: Bentley does a great job going a long way in a short time to get a tackle for loss.

13:05: Bentley allows a short completion on 2nd and long to the back, good open field tackle.

10:34: Bentley in the slot in a zone, guy blows past him and deep man allows the long catch.

9:43: Lindley with a terrible decision, a near interception right to the linebacker after underthrowing the back. This has been his problem.

9:20: Green wins a jump ball deep despite pass interference. The 6-6 tight end looked like a wide receiver here.

9:08: Green has a bit of trouble run blocking on a short run.

8:42: Green almost catches one short out of the h-back position, but can’t hold on with a short cover man draped all over him.

8:07: Green overthrown over the middle.

5:04: Bentley misses a tackle in the backfield on a blitz.

2nd quarter

14:49: Bentley misses a diving tackle in the backfield, would have been a tough play.

13:16: Bentley in on a tackle after a long run.

11:30: Bentley allows a catch on 3rd and 6, just enough to move chains. Good tackle after.

10:22: Bentley in on an open field tackle.

9:51: Bentley thrown on again for a solid gain. Lindley not having a bad game at all.

5:55: Green targeted deep on a trick play, overthrown deep by the back.

5:52: Green with a decent block on the outside.

3:48: Green seals a block well.

2:34: Quarterback throws off his back foot under pressure to Green, terrible decision and throw, red zone pick. Not really Green’s fault.

0:49: Bentley thrown on deep, incomplete, could have been caught, but would have been a tough play.

 

3rd quarter

14:01: Green in stride in the seam, plucks one and a touchdown for a good amount yards.

12:40: Green with a good catch in stride and then a good run after, makes one guy miss.

10:21: Bentley on special teams, helps pin San Diego State at the one.

1:42: Green catches one on a slant on 3rd and 6, caught well in stride and good run after the catch on a catch short of the sticks to convert the 1st.

4th quarter

13:51: Green well covered, yet still thrown at, more likely to be picked off than completed.

11:20: Bentley blows up a play in the backfield for a tackle for loss on the back.

2:16: Green thrown back shoulder fade, jump ball in the end zone, could have been PI, but not called, incomplete.

2:12: Green had more contact on another back shoulder fade, couldn’t fight through it, no call, deflected at last second. Larry Parker does a nice job here, as he has all game and season.

1:58: Lindley almost throws a game ending pick, dropped.

1:01: Bentley thrown on, incomplete, with better instincts this one could have been picked.

0:00: Ryan Lindley is a 4 year starter at San Diego State during the rebirth of their program and has all the physical tools at 6-4 230. Last season, he completed 57.7% of his passes for an average of 9.1 YPA and 28 touchdowns to 14 picks. With a good senior season, he could have made himself a real mid round sleeper in the 2012 NFL Draft.

However, he has not had the best senior season at all, completing just 53.0% of his passes for an average of 7.1 YPA and 23 touchdowns to 9 picks, all against not the toughest of competition. The toughest defense he’s faced this season was probably TCU’s, a game I watched and I came away really not impressed. He was erratic and displayed poor decision making all night. The tools were there, but he hardly looked like anything more than a late rounder with upside completing 15 of 41 for 201 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 3 picks.

This game was better for him, although it wasn’t nearly as tough of a defense. Lindley completed 28 of 49 for 413 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no picks, but I still wasn’t that impressed. San Diego state lost this game 32-30 to an inferior opponent and that was after what should have been a game winning drive by Lindley that wasn’t even that impressive. Lindley was aided by a dropped pick, something Louisiana Lafayette did at least 2 or 3 times in the game, as well as a bad throw on Dwight Bentley that could have been picked had Bentley made a better play on the ball. He was also aided by a borderline pass interference call that the refs refused to call on back to back plays in the end zone on San Diego State the drive before. He still seemed to make some poor decisions and probably would have had a much worse game against a better defense.

Louisiana Lafayette’s best defensive player is cornerback Dwight Bentley. Bentley wasn’t terribly impressive. Though he was the #1 cornerback, Lindley had no fear throwing on him and had a good amount of success throwing on him. Bentley also should have made a play to get the game winning interception late, but didn’t. He made a couple of nice tackles, but also missed a couple tackles in the backfield, though he did have a really good early tackle for loss and two total tackles for loss. On the season, the 5-11 180 pound cornerback had 71 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3 picks, including two against Oklahoma State, and 6 deflections. He’s undersized, but showed good blitz ability and solid coverage ability so he may be able to function as a nickel or dime back at the next level, but he’s nothing other than a late round pick.

The best draft prospect for Louisiana Lafayette was tight end Ladarius Green. The 6-6 230 pound tight end is a bit undersized, but he’s an excellent pass catcher, leading his team with 51 catches for 606 yards and 8 touchdowns on the season. He’s got 4 years starting experience and 3 years of great production (32/533/2, 44/794/7, 51/606/8). Tonight he was basically unstoppable. He caught 5 passes for 121 yards and 1 touchdown, proving to be unstoppable in the seam as Louisiana Lafayette’s quarterback had a career high 470 yards passing on 24 of 40 for 3 touchdowns and a pick. He was his team’s 2nd leading receiver.

He looks like a wide receiver out there when he plays, but he does need to bulk up some. He’s not the worst blocker, but it’s an area he needs to improve in. If he can weigh in at 6-6 240 by the combine, his stock could really go up as he has the ability to be a good pass catching receiver. He’s a real matchup problem with good athleticism and reliable hands. He catches it like he’s taught, but at the same time, he was outphysicaled in the end zone on back to back plays by a cornerback, though PI could have been called on either one. Generally, he’s a reliable end zone threat, but physicality is an area he needs to work on.

The cornerback matched up with Green in the end zone on those two plays was Larry Parker. Parker is one of two good cornerbacks along with junior Leon McFadden. Parker does have 7 picks on the season, but he’s undersized at 5-11 170 and consistently thrown on rather than McFadden. McFadden, a junior, is a little bigger and better seems like the better future pro prospect. Parker has had a good season statistically, but was torched in this game in general and could have been whistled for PI on either of the two end zone plays against Green. He’s looks like an undrafted free agent.

San Diego State does have one other draftable prospect, the running back Ronnie Hillman. Hillman is an undersized redshirt sophomore, but he runs bigger than the 5-10 190 he is. He’s reportedly considering declaring for the draft after 1711 yards and 19 touchdowns on 311 carries, as well as 24 catches. He had a big season in 2010 as well, with 1532 yards and 17 touchdowns on 262 carries with 9 catches. However, he did not have a good game here and that should force him to consider returning for another season after 55 yards on 24 carries. He also struggled against TCU with 55 on 20 and 8 on 3 against Boise State. His game log really does show he has been beating up on weaker opponents and he didn’t look ready for the NFL in this performance. If he does come out, he’ll probably be a mid rounder, which would be a mistake for him.

 

Scout’s Notebook

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This is new for the 2012 NFL Draft season. In addition to my regular scouting reports, I will also have this page, where game notes from my scouting will be posted so my reader’s can see my process. How I scout is I’ll pick two players per game to spotlight and watch everything they do, jotting down notes as I go along, along with the quarter and time remaining of the note, just for reference. The two players cannot be on the field at the same time. For example, if the game is Florida/Alabama, I can watch a player from Florida’s offense and a player from Alabama’s offense, a player from Florida’s defense and a player from Alabama’s defense, a player from Florida’s offense and a player from Florida’s defense, or a player from Alabama’s offense and a player from Alabama’s defense. This way, I can spotlight two players per game without any overlap. Of course, while doing this, I might notice something about another player that I’m not spotlighting and jot that down as well. On this page, I have links to scouting previews (my schedule for who I will scout as well as some pregame notes) and my actual scout’s notes from the games. I use this informative to compile my scouting reports and positional rankings, which are separate pages. This page is just the “behind the scenes” stuff.

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4 

Week 5 

Week 6 

Week 7 

Week 8 

Week 9 

Week 10 

Week 11 

Week 12

Week 13 

Week 14 

 

TCU/Baylor (9/2)

West Virginia/Marshall (9/4) 

Louisville/FIU (9/9)

Arizona State/Missouri (9/9)

Notre Dame/Michigan (9/10) 

LSU/Mississippi State (9/15) 

Boise State/Toledo (9/16) 

Washington/Nebraska (9/17)

Ohio State/Miami (9/17)

Stanford/Arizona (9/17)

UCF/BYU (9/23) 

Oklahoma State/Texas A&M (9/24)

South Carolina/Vanderbilt (9/24)

USC/Arizona State (9/24) 

Pittsburgh/South Florida (9/29) 

Michigan State/Ohio State (10/1)

Alabama/Florida (10/1) 

California/Oregon (10/6)

Boise State/Fresno State (10/7)

Oklahoma/Texas (10/8)

LSU/Florida (10/8)

Tennessee/Georgia (10/8)

San Diego State/TCU (10/8) 

North Carolina/Louisville (10/8) 

Miami/Virginia Tech (10/8)

Wisconsin/Nebraska (10/1)

North Alabama/Delta State (10/13)

Clemson/Boston College (10/8)

Texas A&M/Baylor (10/15)

Alabama/Vanderbilt (10/8)

USC/California (10/13)

Texas/Oklahoma State (10/15)

Florida State/Clemson (9/24)

Fresno State/Utah State (10/15)

Michigan State/Wisconsin (10/22)

Cincinnati/Louisville (10/15)

USC/Stanford (10/29)

Iowa State/Texas A&M (10/22)

Alabama/Tennessee (10/22)

Clemson/North Carolina (10/22)

Stanford/Washington (10/22)

Oklahoma/Kansas State (10/29)

Miami/Virginia (10/27) 

LSU/Alabama (11/5)

Illinois/Penn State (10/29) 

Penn State/Nebraska (11/12)

Stanford/Oregon (11/12)

Miami/Florida State (11/12)

Iowa/Michigan (11/5)

Wisconsin/Ohio State (10/29)

Michigan State/Nebraska (10/29)

West Virginia/Rutgers (10/29)

NC State/North Carolina (11/5)

Florida/Vanderbilt (11/5) 

Illinois/Wisconsin (11/19)

USC/Oregon (11/19)

Miss State/Arkansas (11/19)

Arkansas/Tennessee (11/12)

Oklahoma/Baylor (11/19)

Notre Dame/Wake Forest (11/5) 

Arkansas/LSU (11/25) 

West Virginia/Pittsburgh (11/25) 

Oklahoma State/Oklahoma (12/3) 

Alabama/Auburn (11/26)

Georgia/LSU (12/3) 

California/Stanford (11/19) 

UCLA/Arizona (10/20)

Oklahoma/Texas Tech (10/22) 

Temple/Ohio (11/2)

Auburn/Mississippi (10/29)

Boston College/Maryland (10/29)

South Carolina/Arkansas (11/5) 

USC/Colorado (11/4) 

San Diego State/Louisiana-Lafayette (12/17)

Miami/Duke (11/5)

Purdue/Wisconsin (11/5)

LSU/Western Kentucky (11/12)

Syracuse/Connecticut (11/5)

Boise State/Arizona State (12/22)

TCU/Louisiana Tech (12/21)

Iowa/Michigan State (11/12)

Kentucky/Vanderbilt (11/12)

Duke/Virginia (11/12)

Illinois/Michigan (11/12) 

Furman/Florida (11/19)

Virginia Tech/North Carolina (11/17) 

Senior Bowl (1/28) 

 

Scott Wells Rams

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Scott Wells got 1 million less total (and 1 million less guaranteed) than Chris Myers. Wells was ProFootballFocus’ 4th ranked center (8th in 2010, 19th in 2009, 4th in 2008) and Myers was #1 (3rd in 2010, 8th in 2009, 12th in 2008). On paper, that seems reasonable and I gave the Myers deal an A. However, I’m giving this one a B for several reasons.

For one, this is a signing and not a resigning. I say this all the team. Free agents are almost always worth more to their original team than a new team. Two, the Rams are a pretty bad team. They won 2 games last year. They’re not exactly in a position to be shelling out 6 million per year for a luxury position like a center like the Rams are (especially a 31 year old like Wells). Three, Wells left a 15 win team for a 2 win team for 1-2 million more per year (the Packers offered him at least 4-5 million per year to stay). What does that say about Wells’ priorities?

Grade: B

 

Scott Wedige

stevenlourie Interviews

Today at The Football Fan Spot, we have Scott Wedige, a center prospect out of Northern Illinois. Wedige is a smaller school player, but stood out on Northern Illinois’ offensive line, making the All-MAC 1st team in 2010 and 2011. He blocked for Chandler Harnish, another potential draftable prospect, who was sacked a mere 23 times in the last 2 seasons. He’s expected to be a late round pick or a priority free agent. He has a bright future ahead of him. Today, he is here to tell us about his game and his Pre-NFL Draft experience.
The Football Fan Spot:First, a little bit of background stuff, when did you start playing football? Who did were some of your favorite players to watch as a kid? Favorite team to watch? When did you first realize that you had a really good shot at the NFL?

Scott Wedige: Been playing football since grade school. Favorite players growing up, Brett Favre and Reggie White. Favorite player now Jeff Saturday. Favorite team Green Bay. I never really knew I had a chance until I started getting calls from agents and it kind of never felt real until Pro Day and saw scouts meeting with me.

TFFS: It’s been roughly 2 or 3 months since the end of your season. In what ways, if any, do you think you’ve improved since the end of the season?

SW: I have improved my overall conditioning, strength as well as my athleticism. My trainer Kevin Barcal of Breakaway Athletics does a great job and pushes us farther than I thought I could.

TFFS: I have always found it very interesting to ask prospects what round they believe they will be drafted in, so, honestly, putting aside where you think you should be drafted, what draft range do you think you will be drafted in?

SW: I have heard anything from 5th-7th round as well as priority free agent. If I am drafted it will be a blessing and I have no idea where or when I will be drafted if at all.

TFFS: Who do you compare yourself most to in the NFL? Is there anyone you model your game after?

SW: I would say I like to model my game after my favorite player Jeff Saturday. He is an extremely intelligent player who plays hard and goes about things the right way on and off the field.

TFFS: Which NFL players, if any, have been helping you as you transition to being an NFL player?

SW: I have got to meet with Ryan Diem and Jeff Saturday to work out. Those guys taught me a ton and have been a guide for my transition from college to pro. My agent Cliff Brady has also been a mentor and a great friend through this entire process.

TFFS: You didn’t get a chance to attend The Combine so your Pro Day was extremely important. Were you satisfied with your performance? Which drills do you think best displayed your abilities?

SW: I was pleased with my numbers. I have done better in training but I ran a 5.1 40, 4.5 shuttle, 7.8 L drill and 25 bench reps. I think that the on field drills shows my football talents as well as how well I can move and bend. I think my pro agility displayed my quickness and flexibility.

TFFS: Give me a little bit of a self scouting report, what do you say you could contribute most to an NFL team? What is your biggest weakness or thing you need to work on most?

SW: I think that what I offer a team is an intelligent player that plays hard and has a great work ethic on and off the field.

TFFS: Shifting from you to your team, what is one thing about Northern Illinois football you think the common fan should know?

SW: NIU is a university with more pride and love surrounding it because we do thing the hard way and the right way. I am proud to be a Huskie.

TFFS: One final question, if an NFL GM were standing right in front of you and asked you, why should we draft you, what would you say to him?

SW: If a GM was in front of me I would say that you are drafting a guy who has a great work ethic, a great student of the game, and nasty playing style who can help your club right away and I promise I won’t let you down.

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Scott Sicko

stevenlourie Interviews

Today at The Football Fan Spot we have New Hampshire tight end and NFL Draft Prospect, Scott Sicko. He made the Division I-AA All-American 2nd team last year and the Division I-AA All-American 1st team in 2008. He caught 160 passes in his college career, with all but two of those coming in the last 3 years. He is regarded, for the most part, as a 5th-6th round prospect. Today, he is here to tell us about his game and his Pre-NFL Draft experience.

The Football Fan Spot: First, a little bit of background stuff, when did you start playing football? Who did were some of your favorite players to watch as a kid? Favorite team to watch? When did you first realize that you had a really good shot at the NFL?

Scott Sicko: I started playing football very young. As long as I can remember I have been playing football. Not always in an organized setting but I remember as little kid playing with my father and the other kids around my house. When I was younger I never really had any favorite players, I always just like to watch the game. My favorite team when I was younger was the Raiders because that is who my father like so I grew up liking them, but now I like multiple teams. There are a lot of teams out their that I have a lot of respect for.

TFFS: You played last year in Division I-AA. How do you think playing in Division I-AA compares to playing in Division I? Would you say it’s a bit of a disadvantage coming from a smaller school background as you try to transition to the NFL?

SS: I honestly don’t know how to compare the two levels just because I haven’t played at both. I don’t know if coming from a D-1 AA will hurt me. I do know however that it will be a big change from college to profession and that I am going to work as hard as possible to make the best transition I can.

TFFS: Throughout the season, you were listed anywhere from 235 pounds to 240, yet at your Pro Day weigh in you measured in at an impressive 6-5 251 and still managed to put up an impressive 40 time. How much do you think that affects your draft stock and how much of a priority was bulking up for you after the season?

SS: Bulking up was a huge priority for me after the season. I knew that for teams to look seriously at me that I would have to be at least close to 250lbs if not over. As for how my 40 time affected my draft stock I really don’t know, I can just hope that it helps.

TFFS: Its been roughly 3 months since the end of your season. Aside from the added bulk, do you think are an improved player since the end of the season and if so, in what way?

SS: Since the end of the season I have worked hard to keep my catching ability at least at the same level that it was previously. Also, I know that I have increased both my speed and my strength, which I think will greatly help me on the field

TFFS: You didn’t get a Combine invite, but there were a lot of bigger school athletes that got Combine invites yet chose to skip a drill or multiple drills in favor of doing them at their Pro Day. As someone who did not get to attend at all, what do you think of that?

SS: That is a situation in which those players have to do what they think is best for them and you can’t hold that against them.

TFFS: Which, if any, NFL teams have contacted you up to this point? Which teams sent scouts to your Pro Day?

SS: Multiple teams have been in contract with my agent. The Patriots and the Colts attended our Pro Day here at UNH.

TFFS: How would you compare yourself to guys like Jermaine Gresham, Ed Dickson, and Aaron Hernandez?

SS: All of those guys are very good players. I don’t think I would be able to compare myself to them, I usually leave the comparisons up to other people.

TFFS: I have always found it very interesting to ask prospects what round they believe they will be drafted in, so, honestly, putting aside where you think you should be drafted, what draft range do you think you will be drafted in?

SS: Honestly, I have no idea. That is one reason that this process is so exciting though. I mean, I have never been though this process before and I have only seen a couple of other players go though it and witnessed it from a distance. All I can do I work as hard as I can to perform to the best of my ability and hope that the teams like me.

TFFS: A lot of rookies have to play significant amounts of time on special teams. What is your experience playing on special teams and did you enjoy it?

SS: I have been a back up long snapper all of my 4 years at UNH and I have also been back up short snapper and was first string for a large part of my junior year. For me special teams are just another opportunity to get on the field and any chance you get to be on the field is great in my eyes.

TFFS: Who do you compare yourself most to in the NFL? Is there anyone you model your game after?

SS: I think that there are a lot of very good tight ends in the NFL. I really have never modeled my game directly after any players, but I always try to learn new thing from a variety of players.

TFFS: Switching from you to your former team, what is one thing about New Hampshire Wildcat football that you would want the common fan to know?

SS:  I would want them to know the amount of work that UNH football players put in. We work incredibly hard here so we can go out a perform well and we take a great deal of pride in that.

TFFS: One final question, if an NFL GM were standing right in front of you and asked you, why should we draft you, what would you say to him?

SS: I would tell him that I would do any amount of work that it took for me to help to contribute to the team in order for it to be successful.

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Santonio Holmes Jets

stevenlourie Uncategorized

 

Deal for the Steelers: What is what with all of these veterans getting sold for pennies on the dollar this offseason? Santonio Holmes (or as John Madden would say it San Antonio Holmes) is a 26 year old former first round pick and he just caught 79 passes for 1248 yards and 5 scores lasy uear. I understand some of the Steelers’ reasons behind this. Holmes could be facing a 4 game suspension for substance abuse next year. He has a questionable past and the Steelers are a notriously conservative franchise when it comes to the character of their players. He’s in a contract year next year. But a 5th rounder?

There has to be something up we don’t know about. So far we’ve seen a franchise quarterback get traded within the division for a 2nd rounder, a star receiver get traded for a 3rd and a 4th rounder, a starting caliber defensive tackle go for a 5th rounder, a starting caliber cornerback go for a 5th, the list goes on and on. What the reason could be, I don’t know for sure, but I have some reasons. One, this is a really good draft class. That’s unlikely to be the sole reason. Two, teams are legitimately afraid of a lockout in 2011. It makes sense. If the NFL misses a year in 2011, vets won’t be worth as much when they come back. Guys from the 2010 draft class will be.  

That makes some sense, but it can’t be it entirely. Holmes was worth way more than a 5th rounder, even under all the circumstances. Then we enter in the issue of Holmes’ character. The Steelers are a traditionally no nonsense franchise when it comes to their players’ character. They are concerned about some off the field issues concerning Big Ben Roethlisberger, but obviously trading him to send the message is not a smart football move. So they trade Holmes and try to scare Ben straight in the process. Overall, I think they gave up way too much value and I’m afraid of a lockout in 2011 (I would have to start covering UFL!), but I understand their reasoning.

Grade: C

Deal for the Jets: Possibility of a lockout aside, this is a great shortterm move for the Jets. Holmes is a top 15 receiver in the league. And what were they going to do with that 5th rounder anyway, draft offensive line depth? If everything goes right for the Jets in 2010, meaning Braylon and Santonio play well, Shonn Green breaks out, Cromartie plays up to his potential, Mark Sanchez continues to mature, all they lack is an elite pass rush. They’ll have a great opportunity to get some pass rushers in the first 2 rounds of the draft. Signing Jason Taylor to a one year deal might not be a bad idea either. Who knows maybe Vernon Gholston will finally do something (not)!

If all the above happen, this is a 11 or 12 win team and that could win them the division (depending on what happens in Patriot land), the real wild card for them is Mark Sanchez. I know what you’re thinking. Mark Sanchez is the Golden Boy. He led this team to the AFC Championship game last year. No, he played in the AFC Championship game last year. He did not lead them there. His supporting cast led them there and Sanchez went along for the ride and didn’t screw things up. Here are some numbers, 53.8, 6.7, 12, 20, 63.0. In order those are Sanchez’ completion percentage, YPA, touchdowns, interceptions, and quarterback rating for 2009. Not exactly Golden Boy numbers. He was better in the playoffs, but only better enough to not screw things up. Imagine if he plays up to potential. Damn! With that supporting cast, that’s a scary team and I’m saying that as a Patriots fan. If everything goes right in New York, meaning everyone plays up to their potential, this is the team to beat in the AFC. You can quote me on that. They have a great offensive line with experience returning starters who never get hurt and play well together. They’re three deep at running back, three deep at wide receiver, great defensive line against the run, the best cornerback in the game, and a guy in Cromartie who is a top 10 corner if he tries. All they need is Sanchez and Holmes (assuming he gets suspended) to play like himself come late season and playoff time.

Grade: A

 

Santana Moss Redskins

stevenlourie Uncategorized

I thought someone was going to overpay the 32-year-old Moss in free agency. I have no idea why Moss resigned for a cheaper rate than he could have gotten on the open market (in my opinion) with the soon to be 2-14 Redskins. However, it’s a great move for the Redskins. They needed a veteran receiver and Moss is a great value at 3 years 15 million, with only 6 years guaranteed. He could decline in the next few years, but he caught 93 passes for 1115 yards and 6 touchdowns last year so he’s definitely worth this amount of money.

Grade: A