2010 Record: 6-10
Draft Position: 12
2010 Season Recap: Click Here
Offseason Needs: Click Here
Free Agents/Team Transactions: Click Here
Draft Grades: Click Here
Key Offseason Moves: None
2010 Posts
What to expect from Vikings QBs this Sunday, Minnesota Vikings Season Preview
WR Larry Fitzgerald
Fitz has practiced all week and is going to play this Sunday despite his probable listing.
RB Fred Jackson
Jackson’s listed as questionable, but hasn’t missed any practice time so he should be in the game as a backup to CJ Spiller this week, but with the way Spiller has been running this preseason and with Jackson’s broken hand and Marshawn Lynch to contend with, Jackson doesn’t have a good chance to put up big points.
RB Jonathan Stewart
Stewart is going to play this week despite his probable listing and should be 100% this week.
WR Steve Smith
Carolina’s Steve Smith will play this week after missing most of the preseason and training camp with a broken arm.
TE Owen Daniels
Gary Kubiak says Daniels will play this week, but may not start and probably won’t get more than a third of the team’s snaps. Don’t start him this week.
RB Maurice Jones Drew
MJD is insisting he’s not injured so feel free to play him this week. No need to keep your first round pick out of the lineup.
WR Brandon Marshall
His ankle injury is not believed to be serious after he practiced in full Friday and he is expected to be good to go for the Dolphins game against the Bills.
QB Tom Brady, WR Randy Moss
Belicheck always lists them as probable to mess with people. They’ll play. Don’t fall for it.
RB Laurence Maroney
Maroney is nursing thigh and groin injuries and is listed as questionable, though ESPN’s John Clayton does not believe he will play. Don’t start him as even if he does play, he’s probably the #2 back at least to Fred Taylor.
RB Michael Bush
Bush is a game time decision with his broken hand, but may lose some carries to Darren McFadden even if he does play. There are better options than him this week, but he could still have a decent game if he does play and get 15-20 carries.
WR Chaz Schilens
Schilens has a bad knee and is out for at least this week.
QB Donovan McNabb
McNabb has practiced all week, but is still listed as questionable and admits his ankle is still not 100% so I doubt he’ll have that great of a game. You may want to consider your backup if McNabb is your QB1.
Spolight #1: Rutgers WR Mohamed Sanu
Spotlight #2: Rutgers DE Manny Abreu
1st quarter
7:04: Manny Abreu blocked off the play by Don Barclay when run at. He’s been a non factor early in this game. He hasn’t done anything against either tackle, especially not Don Barclay, a projected late round pick.
6:14: Abreu can’t disengage on an outside run to his side. Touchdown.
5:53: Sanu targeted, but an inaccurate pass behind him against the blitz.
5:48: Keith Tandy with a great coverage and a pass deflection. He wasn’t matched up with Sanu, but a nice play to almost get a pick.
4:43: Abreu with a fumble recovery on a blitz. The quarterback wasn’t even pressured. He just dropped the ball and Abreu, who had been blocked well, got to the right place at the right time for the recovery.
3:32: Sanu catches one short over the middle, covered by Tandy. Tandy with a terrible tackle, doesn’t wrap up Sanu, tackle broken easily be the 6-3 220 Sanu, who runs into the end zone for a touchdown.
2:47: Tandy learned from his mistake. Nice wrap up on the fullback out of the backfield.
1:41: Keith Tandy not covering Sanu, but still allows a 45 yard touchdown downfield. This was a 45 yard touchdown without much YAC. Not very good coverage, though it was a perfect throw by the quarterback.
2nd quarter
14:26: Abreu hasn’t been too impressive, but another Rutgers defensive lineman, 6-2 275 defensive tackle Justin Francis, has made a few plays tonight. Here he gets a tackle for loss. He could get drafted late as a left end. He has 48 tackles, 7 for loss, and 4 sacks on the year coming into this game, in 7 games.
11:30: Julian Miller with a fumble recovery for West Virginia.
10:54: Sanu targeted deep, very underthrown and very well coverage, but he doesn’t even make an effort to come back to the ball.
9:07: Abreu has his spin move stood up. He’s not having a very good game.
2:53: Tandy is the last man to beat on a long touchdown run, but he can’t get off a very good block. Touchdown, the 3rd allowed touchdown that Tandy has been a part of tonight.
0:50: Abreu with a quarterback pressure.
0:23: Justin Francis in on another tackle for loss.
0:16: Abreu finishes a guy off on a tackle for loss. Not going to be credited to him in the stat sheet.
3rd quarter
14:16: Sanu targeted deep against a safety on a cornerback blitz. He runs a poor route here. Had he just keep going straight, he would have been wide open, but he tried a double move with the safety far off of him, allowing him to catch up and cover him well for an incomplete, though there could have been PI on this one.
6:34: Sanu is covered well short, but it doesn’t matter. Nice hands to catch it with a guy blanketed on him and then he shows nice, physical moves to take it for 16 with a lot of yards after catch.
5:22: Sanu targeted on the sideline against tight double coverage deep. Picked. Sanu could have done more to break up the interception, but he was tight coverage and it wasn’t the best throw.
1:10: Sanu tries to make a tough catch, but can’t. Off his hands. This is one a player of his caliber should have made.
0:20: Abreu run at, nothing happening, one of his best plays of the night.
4th quarter
11:08: Tandy with a pass deflection and almost a pick.
5:43: Abreu pancaked on outside containment, allows a big run.
4:14: Sanu with a short catch.
3:59: Tandy with his 3rd deflection/near pick of the night.
3:53: With Rutgers trailing by multiple scores for the first time tonight, we finally get to see what this West Virginia pass rush can do. Bruce Irvin getting consistent pressure, as is sophomore defensive end Will Clarke. Julian Miller is on the bench.
3:32: Irvin got pressure on almost every pass play on that drive.
1:51: Sanu with his 4th catch of the game, first down, gets out of bounds as Rutgers is trailing.
1:36: Sanu with his 2nd catch for a first down on the drive, tackled well by Tandy.
1:01: Will Clarke with a sack for West Virginia. Irvin got pressure as well.
0:00: Keith Tandy looked like a mid round prospect coming into this game and I was looking forward to the matchup between him and Mohamed Sanu, a rising prospect who is having an awesome year and a potential late first round pick. The 6-3 220 Sanu has 65 catches for 683 yards and 6 touchdowns in 7 games coming in. Unfortunately, the two didn’t match up very often.
One play where they did, Sanu caught the ball short over the middle and Tandy whiffed on a tackle, allowing a touchdown. Tandy was involved on two other touchdowns allowed. He surrendered a 47 yarder through the air and failed as the last man to beat on a long touchdown run.
On the flip side, Tandy also had 3 pass break ups and could have had several picks. After that first touchdown allowed, he did tackle better for the rest of the night, even though he couldn’t get off a block on that long touchdown run. Aside from the two touchdowns allowed, he didn’t only allowed one more catch and that was a catch that he kept in front of him late with a lead. Tandy looks like a mid rounder. On the season, he has 45 tackles, 2 for loss, 3 picks, and 9 pass breakups.
Sanu didn’t have his most dominant game, but he did lead Rutgers receivers with 5 catches for 48 yards and a score even though his quarterback was inconsistent at best going 18 of 46 for 235 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. He also flashed a lot of physicality. He is 6-3 220 and plays bigger than that. He is very tough to bring down in the open field and a good run blocker with a feisty motor. He also has big, strong hands and is a natural pass catcher.
However, he did have a few mental lapses. He dropped a pass, blew a chance at a long reception with a poor route run. He also failed to come back for a very underthrown ball deep and didn’t do enough to break up an interception thrown at him. I’ll need to see more of him, but even with all of his physical gifts, he looks like an early 2nd rounder rather than a late 1st rounder to me.
Another guy matchup I was intrigued to watch was Rutgers’ Manny Abreu against West Virginia’s Don Barclay. Barclay dominated that one, but it’s hard to give him a stock up for it. Abreu struggled matched up with either tackle, the left tackle Barclay or the right tackle. Abreu doesn’t look draftable at this point. He had a few nice plays, but really struggled to get consistent pressure and looked very bad against the run. Meanwhile, Don Barclay looks like a late rounder. I don’t know if he has the athleticism to be anything other than a right tackle at the next level.
Another Rutgers defensive lineman did stand out and that was 6-2 275 pound Justin Francis, a defensive tackle. He had 2 tackles for loss to give him 9 tackles for loss and 4 sacks on the year. He’ll have to move to left end or possible 3-4 defensive end at the next level, but he has some promise and looks like someone who is deserving of a late round flier. He’ll be spotlighted at a later date.
West Virginia is known for its pass rush and it really flashed late when Rutgers was trailing by multiple scores for the first time all game. Bruce Irvin is the leader. At 6-3 245 pound defensive end is very undersized, but he also is a very good pass rusher. He had 14 sacks last season. He is disappointing this season with just 2.5 sacks and 7 tackles for loss, but he looked very good late in this game, getting pressure on almost every play. However, it wasn’t the toughest matchup and he’s really disappointed this season as a pass rusher, while remaining weak against the run. Unless he gets things together, he might fall out of day 2 entirely.
Another defensive end for West Virginia with slipping stock is Julian Miller. Miller came into the season as a potential day 2 pick, but he is losing a lot of playing time to sophomore defensive end Will Clarke. Clarke had a sack today and was in exclusively on those last 2 drives with West Virginia winning. Miller didn’t see the field. He did have a fumble recovery, but he’s having a bad year. He had 9 sacks and 14 tackles for loss last season, but this year the 6-4 260 pound end has just 2 sacks and 3 tackles for loss. Someone might still draft him late.
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. Terrence Cody (Alabama) 87
2/27/10: Cody weighed in at 370 at his Senior Bowl weigh in after promising he’d be at 355 and his stock lowered. Cody weighed in at 354 today at the combine. He still needs to lose some weight, but I think I can move him back up a little after dropping him following the Senior Bowl. If you’ve ever seen this guy play, he might be the most agile 354 pound man you’ve ever seen.
1/26/10: He is a large man. One can only hope he keeps his shirt on when he runs the 40 at the combine.
He may only be a two down nose tackle in the NFL, but so are Kris Jenkins and Jamal Williams and most are hugely important to their teams success. With so many teams switching to the 3-4 defense and so few of them having true 3-4 nose tackles, Cody could be a hot commodity this year going as high as 5 to the Chiefs and I think no lower than #29 to the Chargers.
2. Dan Williams (Tennessee) 86
1/30/10: Williams was a big disruptive force all game and really pushed the defensive line back in a big way. However, what really impressed me is, at 325 pounds, how mobile he is. He moved around great and actually covered a running back and prevented him from catching the ball out of the backfield. He also had a pass deflection. He can play any scheme, unlike Terrence Cody. He’s big enough to play 3-4, but also fast and agile enough to play defensive tackle in a 4-3, and he actually has experience in a cover 2 scheme at Tennessee so, despite his size, he can play that scheme at the next level. I can’t see him falling past Tennessee at 16, who needs a big defensive tackle to play in their cover 2 defense. I currently have him ranked as the top nose tackle ahead of Terrence Cody because of his scheme versatility, even though Cody is a better natural run stopper. Cody also weighed in at 15 pounds higher than expected at his weigh in which is not good.
Williams is the more versatile of the two elite nose tackle prospects this year as he can also play 4-3 defensive tackle and is a true 3 down nose tackle. He moves extremely well for his size and gets a great push up front, but he is nowhere near as physically dominant as Cody.
3. Cam Thomas (North Carolina) 70
1/30/10: Thomas cemented himself as the 3rd best nose tackle in this class, by pushing the offensive line forward with great strength, controlling two blockers, and even having a sack of his own. He’s not a pass rushing defensive lineman, but he has a role for himself as a run stopping shield type nose tackle at the next level and with the high number of NFL teams that now use 3-4 systems that need big nose tackles like him, he could ultimately go in the 2nd round, which is why I’d say he made himself the most money this week. NFL Network’s Mike Mayock went as far to say as he guarantees that Thomas will be a 2nd round pick. I will conservatively give him a 3rd round grade for now, but I was impressed nonetheless.
1/27/10: With the 3rd nose tackle slot up for grabs, Thomas has really made his case to be that 3rd nose tackle. With excellent size at 6-3 325, Thomas has showed that he can also move as well and in his weigh in, he looked much more muscular than fat.
Already has some experience in a 3-4 defense so at 6-3 325 he’ll get some looks late by desperate teams as a depth guy in a 3-4 scheme.
4. Linval Joseph (East Carolina) 68
4/2/10: Joseph was smart enough not to lose very much weight, dropping only to a very fit 319. He still has the size to play nose tackle. However, he was still able to drpp his already impressive 5.09 to 4.93. He proved himself to be one of the most agile big men in the country last year and is now clearly my #4 nose tackle. That could sneak him into round 2.
3/1/10: 40s don’t mean a ton to nose tackles, but a 5.09 at 328 with 39 reps on the bench will get you noticed as a very strong athlete.
Showed very good mobility for a 320 pound tackle with 60 tackles and 2 sacks last year and also showed this speed at the combine. He is your standard mid round nose tackle and he could go as early as the 3rd because of the need for nose tackles in the NFL and his size.
5. Ekom Udofia (Stanford) 61
Injuries have plagued him at Stanford, but he’s been a hot commodity since he stepped on campus making the Freshman All-American team in 2006 despite not playing full time. He has a great combination of size and moves and would fit a 3-4 defense perfectly at 320 pounds, but unless he can capitalize on his upside and beat the injuries, he’s nothing more than a reserve nose tackle at the next level. However, with so many teams desperate for nose tackles, but could get drafted a lot earlier than he should.
6. Kade Weston (Georgia) 58
Part of a defensive tackle rotation with Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens, Weston often gets lost among the hype of those two freakish athletes, but Weston, at 325 pounds, has actually been a much more consistent statistical performer for the Bulldogs. In addition to his ability to get into the backfield, which is rare for someone of his size, he also is able to take on two blockers which is a key for a 3-4 nose tackle. He is a tough matchup and someone I am a lot higher on than most places. It’ll be interesting to see if he gets drafted.
7. Trey Bryant (Baylor) 52
Undersized for a nose tackle at 315 pounds, but this is a very thin nose tackle class and with all of the teams switching to 3-4, he could get drafted in the 5th round. His size and speed combination are good, but his production was lackluster at Baylor. The only thing that really stands out are how he had a knack for breaking up passes, despite his position. He could be a decent 3-4 defensive end or 4-3 defensive tackle at the next level in addition to a nose tackle, but he’s a reserve in my eyes at this point, no matter the position.
8. Torrell Troup (Central Florida) 48
Probably only a depth guy at the nose tackle position at 315 pounds, but he can also play other positions as a depth guy as well and his instincts are very good for someone of his age and size.
9. Travis Ivey (Maryland) 47
A bigger nose tackle at 6-4 325 pounds so he could be a depth guy at nose tackle with the potential to play as a 4-3 run stopping defensive tackle in the right scheme. As football is a game of inches, it can’t hurt to add someone as big as Ivey to your defensive line depth, but he’s not the most mobile guy either.
10. Al Woods (LSU) 41
Showing how weak this nose tackle class is, Woods could get drafted despite his history of injuries. He was decent this year, but never lived up to his upside as Glenn Dorsey’s successor.
By Packrphan
Yes, folks, this is the pre-preview of the showdown in ChiTiown between our beloved Green Bay Packers and Da Bearz. So, it’s a bit general yet, sorry.
What we do know right now is that whichever team wins this game (and, really, is there any doubt as to which that will be…c’mon!) will be sitting atop the NFC North. That will be a great place to be. It will open up some space between the top dog and, espcially, the ViQueens. We have to anticipate that at some point Ol’ #4’s in-season training camp will click in and the ‘Queens will start to win a few…beginning, most likely, today in the Humpty Dump versus the Lions.
But back to the game of most importance…
This will be the 180th meeting between the Pack and Da Bearz, the oldest rivalry in the NFL. Somehow, Da Bearz lead the overall series 90-82 with 6 ties. The battles through the years have been furious. There have been cheap shots delivered by players on both teams. The story is told by some Glory Years’ Packers that the rivalry between Vince Lombardi and Papa Bear George Hallas was so intense that one game, 5 minutes before kickoff, Hallas marched into the Packers’ locker room, went up to Lombardi, and reportedly said, “You better have your team ready to play,” or something along those lines. Can you imagine that happening today between two coaches? These days, they’re just more likely not to shake hands after a game. It’s all gotten way too civil, hasn’t it?
Most of the players on both sides today just don’t have a sense for the nature and intensity of the rivalry. Players who are asked about the rivalrly by the media generally say it’s more a rivalry for the fans than the players who see it as another game. Even Bears TE Greg Olsen was saying nice things about the Packers’ defense this week. As St. Vince might say about stuff like that, “What the hell’s goin’ on out there!”. Indeed.
That’s why, at least in Green Bay, head coach Mike McCarthy makes it a point to talk to the players, especially the new arrivals, about the history between these two teams, what the rivalry has meant down through the years, the players who have played on both sides of the ball, and especially what it means to the fans. As fans — and apparently at least some players — are well aware, the mantra is always this: no matter whether or not you win any other games during the season, beat Da Bearz.
Yes, perhaps over the past decade or two the intensity of rivalry has picked up between the Pack and the ‘Queens. For some fans, this has even surpassed the Packers-Bearz rivalry. And that’s especially true now with Ol’ #4 betraying all things Green ‘n’ Gold by wearing that funky purple. (It still boggles the mind, doesn’t it???)
But given that tomorrow evening, both the Packers and Da Bearz meet at 2-0 with the division lead at stake you just know this will be one of those old fashioned smash-mouth football games.
WR Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State)
DT Michael Brockers (LSU)
CB Morris Claiborne (LSU)
DE Quinton Coples (North Carolina)
DT Fletcher Cox (Mississippi State)
WR Michael Floyd (Notre Dame)
CB Stephon Gilmore (South Carolina)
WR Stephen Hill (Georgia Tech)
S George Iloka (Boise State)
OLB Bruce Irvin (West Virginia)
WR A.J. Jenkins (Illinois)
MLB James-Michael Johnson (Nevada)
S Trumaine Johnson (Nevada)
DE Chandler Jones (Syracuse)
MLB Luke Kuechly (Boston College)
G Ronald Leary (Memphis)
S Kelcie McCray (Arkansas State)
DT Dontari Poe (Memphis)
WR Rueben Randle (LSU)
OLB Keenan Robinson (Texas)
G Amini Silatolu (Midwestern State)
DT tackle Jerel Worthy (Michigan State)
WR Kendall Wright (Baylor)
G Kevin Zeitler (Wisconsin)
Nose Tackle/Defensive Tackle
Baylor
6-3 334
Draft board overall prospect rank: #58
Draft board overall nose tackle rank: #2
Overall rating: 76 (late 2nd)
40 time: 5.18
4/19/11: Reports have surfaced that Taylor has an inoperable foot condition that could limit his career length.
Inoperable foot condition + 330+ pound body = not a good combination.
3/22/11: Phil Taylor is a classic “kid turning around his life” story. At Penn State, he was kicked off the football team, after an on campus fight, and at some points had ballooned up to 390 pounds. He transferred to Baylor, spent two years there, and now weighs in at 6-3 334, at his Pro Day. He moves like 334 pound men should not be able to move. He’s a very good pass rusher for his size and is getting a few looks as a 4-3 tackle, in addition to as a 3-4 nose tackle.
The character reasons are not completely a thing of the past and he never really dominated at the collegiate level, but a strong draft preseason has him in late first round consideration. He dominated the Senior Bowl and showed his athleticism at the Combine. He’s the top nose tackle in this class and with so many teams moving to a 3-4, he won’t be on the board much past the early 2nd round. Again, as I mentioned, he can play a 4-3. Both the Broncos and the Saints have expressed interest in him as a 4-3 tackle.
He’s explosive and takes on double teams well. He can shed and stack defenders and constantly drew double teams even as a 4-3 tackle at Baylor. He moves and pass rushes well for his size and has decent chase speed. Durability is still going to be an issue for him. Even after slimming down for the Senior Bowl, he had trouble going all out every play. He might be just a situational player in the NFL at first, but he can dominate when he does play and he’s more agile and durable, not to mention versatile, than Terrence Cody.
NFL Comparison: Shaun Rogers
Safety
Northern Iowa
6-4 224
40 time: 4.40
Draft board overall prospect rank: #181
Draft board safety rank: #16
Overall rating: 56*
4/14/10: Let’s take a journey through time, it’s 2009 (big stretch) April of 2009 in fact, April 25th 2009. It’s the 2nd round of the NFL round and the Raiders are on the board. Which fast 40 time player will Al Davis take? It turns out it was Michael Mitchell, who I had never heard of before that day, and I did several 7 round mock drafts last year. It turns out that Mitchell, a safety from Ohio, was viewed as a 2nd round prospect by at least one other team, and a 3rd round prospect by several others. That same thing, on a slightly smaller level, could happen this year with Quentin Scott. Scott is a hard hitter from a tiny school with linebacker size and good speed and fluidity. His teammates have nicknamed him Taylor Mays and he had some hits last year that were on that level. Unlike Mays, he can actually hold his own in pass coverage so he could legitimately play both safety positions at the next level, or at least he has the potential too. The only thing is his weak level of competition so we have to take what we saw of him in pass coverage with a grain of salt, but I love his upside and I think he has the potential to be a surprise 4th round pick. Or I could be wrong. I am kind of just going out on a whim thinking he’ll be drafted that early based on his uncanny comparisons to Michael Mitchell, but I have a good feeling about his draft position and an even better feeling about his potential.
NFL Comparison: Michael Mitchell
*For a breakdown of what this means, click here
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