10/15/11 12 PM ET (ESPN3 Replay)

Louisville at Cincinnati

RB Isaiah Pead (Cincinnati) #23

The senior running back rushed for 1029 yards and 6 touchdowns on 157 carries in 2010 and currently projects as a mid round pick in 2012. He’s a decent pass catcher with 26 catches in 2010, but he plays out of a weird scheme and doesn’t have great size at 5-10 200. He doesn’t have the breakaway speed to make up for it so he seems destined for day 3, but he is moving up with 473 yards and 7 scores on 72 carries, with 8 catches for 54 yards and another score.

DT Derek Wolfe (Cincinnati) #95

Wolfe started the season as a borderline day 2/day 3 prospect with 8 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss in the past 2 years. He is moving up boards right now with 4 sacks and 7 tackles for loss already this season through 5 games. The 6-5 295 defensive tackle would fit best as a 3-4 defensive end, but he could also stay in a 4-3 as an under tackle at the next level.

10/15/11 10 PM ET (ESPN3 Replay)

Utah State at Fresno State

OLB Bobby Wagner (Utah State) #9

The 2011 preseason WAC defensive player of the year, Wagner had 246 tackles from 2009-2010. He’s a bit undersized at 6-1 230, but projects as a nice depth linebacker and special teamer at the next level. He’ll have a chance to prove he can be more than that. He started the season well with 10 tackles and a sack against Auburn. Through 5 games, he has 61 tackles, 2.5 for loss, a sack and a pick. He’s moving up draft boards a bit, but still projects as a day 3 guy.

DT Logan Harrell (Fresno State) #77

Harrell is one of the leaders in tackles for loss in Division 1 with 10 this season, coming off of a strong game against Boise State, one of his few chances to prove himself against an elite team. He has 41 tackles and 3.5 sacks on the season, but at 6-2 275 he won’t be able to play defensive tackle at the next level. It’s unclear if he projects well to 3-4 defensive end or 4-3 defensive end at that size either and he doesn’t possess a great 40 time. Combine that with his level of competition and he will probably get buried in day 3.

 

10/8/11 7 PM ET (ESPN3 replay)

Vanderbilt at Alabama

CB Casey Hayward (Vanderbilt) #19

When last I saw Casey Hayward, he was doing an admirable job on Alshon Jeffery against South Carolina. He limited Jeffery, a potential top 10 pick, to 2 catches, though poor quarterback play by South Carolina’s Stephen Garcia had a lot to do with that as well. He also had 2 picks in that game, though again, that has a lot to do with Garcia. Alabama’s passing attack is a little better so this should be a better test for Hayward, who has 12 career interceptions and is gaining some buzz as a potential late first round pick.

MLB Dont’a Hightower (Alabama) #30

Hightower is finally healthy and putting it all together. The big 6-4 260 pound linebacker has 29 tackles through 5 games in the middle of Alabama’s 3-4 defense and could end up a first round pick if he keeps this up and continues to prove his health. He was a popular name as a potential first rounder before his injuries, taking over for Rolando McClain inside for Alabama and now that he’s healthy again, he’s starting to get mocked in that range again.

ESPN3 Replays

9/24/11 3:30 PM ET

Clemson at Florida State

DE Brandon Jenkins (Florida State) #49

Jenkins burst onto the scene with 13.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss last season and has bulked up to 6-3 265 for the 2011 season, in an effort to remain a 4-3 player as he heads to the NFL after this season. Jenkins will need to pick up it if he wants to remain a first rounder. He hds just 1 sack and 3 tackles for loss in his first 3 this year heading into this game

OT Andrew Datko (Florida State) #67

After Matt Kalil, Jonathan Martin, and Riley Reiff, this is a very thin offensive tackle class. For this reason, the athletic 320 pound Datko has a good chance to move into the mid-to-late first round range and go to a tackle needy team. He plays on Florida State’s left side and is a question mark for the rest of the season after shoulder surgery so I’m watching him in this replay.

10/22 7:15 PM ET

Alabama at Tennessee

DT Josh Chapman (Alabama) #99

Josh Chapman doesn’t make a huge impact on the stat sheet with 11 tackles and 1.5 tackles for a loss on the season, but the 6-1 310 nose tackle is great at tying up blockers and making things happen for the linebacker behind him in Alabama’s 3-4 defense. He’s gaining some steam as a potential 2^nd or even late 1^st rounder.

WR Marquis Maze (Alabama) #4

Alabama’s #2 receiver last year after Julio Jones, Maze caught 38 passes for 557 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2010. As the #1 guy now as a senior, he has 34 catches for 376 yards and a score in 7 games. He’s also got value as a punt returner, averaging 10 yards per return this year. He’s also scored on special teams. The 5-10 180 receiver looks like a late rounder overall.

10/22 8 PM ET

Wisconsin at Michigan State

RB Montee Ball (Wisconsin) #28

Montee Ball has 18 touchdowns on the year, 16 rushing, 1 receiving, and 1 passing on a trick player. He’s also rushed for 653 yards on 107 carries, after rushing for 996 yards and 18 scores on 163 carries last year. He also has caught 7 passes for 166 yards and a score after 16 catches for 128 yards last year. After John Clay went down with an injury last year, Ball rushed for 777 yards and 16 scores on 114 carries in 5 games. He’s 5-11 215 and runs more powerful than his size and he’s got decent speed to boot. I’m really looking forward to him going against Michigan State’s awesome defensive line, which features the top defensive tackle prospect in this draft class, Jerel Worthy.

WR BJ Cunningham (Michigan State) #3

The senior receiver for Michigan State is having a huge year with 42 catches for 621 yards and 2 scores in 6 games, after being fairly non-productive in 2010 with 50 catches for 611 yards and 9 touchdowns. The 6-2 215 pound receiver is moving up boards fast and could end up in day 2 if he keeps this up.

10/22 3:30 PM ET

Texas A&M at Iowa State

OT Kelechi Osemele (Iowa State) #72

Moving from guard to left tackle, Osemele has played well, but probably belongs at right tackle or guard at the next level. The big 6-5 345 offensive lineman obviously is better against the run than the past and belongs in a power blocking scheme, but he has held his own as a left tackle against the opponent’s best pass rusher this season in the Big 12. He’ll be tested this week by Texas A&M’s Sean Porter, a speedy rusher with 7.5 sacks on the season, leading the nation.

RB Cyrus Gray (Texas A&M) #32

Cyrus Gray was the 2^nd string running back to Christine Michael in 2009, rushing for 757 yards and 5 scores on 159 carries, with 28 catches for 221 yards and 2 scores. However, when Michael got hurt in 2010, Gray took over as the lead back and rushed for 1133 yards and 12 touchdowns on 200 carries with 34 catches for 251 yards and 1 touchdown. However, Michael is back this year and running better than him so the senior Gray has not seen the field as much, rushing for 521 yards and 7 touchdowns on 113 carries with 13 catches for 112 yards and a score. Obviously, he’s slipping from the potential day 2 prospect he was going into this season.

10/22 12 PM ET

North Carolina at Clemson

DT Brandon Thompson (Clemson) #98

Not a big stat guy, but a stud against the run at 6-2 310 and frequently takes on multiple blockers, playing a 2 gap 4-3 nose tackle type position, freeing things up for Clemson’s Andre Branch, an elite pass rusher. He did the same thing for Da’Quan Bowers last year. This year, Thompson has 27 tackles, 3.5 for loss, and .5 sacks.

TE Dwayne Allen (Clemson) #83

Allen could be the first tight end off the board in this weak tight end class. He has 27 catches for 381 yards and 4 touchdowns in 6 games this season and has been on fire in his past 5, with 29 catches for 312 yards and 3 scores in his past 4, all against tough competition, Auburn, Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Boston College. His suspect blocking could hurt his stock, but the 6-4 255 tight end has the size to become a better blocker. He’s also got great speed and great hands and is 2^nd on the team behind stud freshman wide receiver Sammy Watkins in receiving yards. 

 

 

Running Back 

West Virginia

5-7 179

Draft board overall prospect rank: #128

Draft board running back rank: #13

Overall rating: 62 (mid 4th) 

40 time: 4.26

4/16/11: So much for his bullshit weight gain from 160 at The Senior Bowl to 179 at The Combine, where he didn’t work out. Devine ran a 4.26 at his Pro Day. That’s pretty fucking fast. He’s back into day 2 consideration, even with his lack of size. Dexter McCluster went in the 2^nd round last year despite his small size.  

2/27/11: Put on 19 pounds mysteriously in one month and then didn’t run. Interesting. I’m calling bullshit on this extra weight.

2/25/11: Devine is up 19 pounds from the 160 he was listed at when he weighed in at The Senior Bowl about a month ago. He needed bulk, but how did he gain 19 pounds in a month? That’s a lot of cheetos. We’ll see how he runs in a few days. For now, I’m raising his stock.

2/19/11: We all knew Noel Devine was small, but before he weighed in at The Senior Bowl, we didn’t know how small. He weighed in at 160, 15 pounds lighter than the already minuscule 175 he was listed at. Very rarely does a running back succeed in the NFL under 200 pounds. Chris Johnson is the notable exception, as is Jamaal Charles, but both of them have their weights in the 190s, so it’s not that big of a stretch. 160 is.

Watching Devine run around at The Senior Bowl, I was reminded of when someone puts a jersey that’s two sizes too big on a little kid and has him run around the yard in pads. He looked that small. He didn’t break any tackles. He was blazing fast untouched and tough to catch, and he should run one of the faster 40 times this year, but he’s just straight line fast. He’s not shifty. He doesn’t change direction well and he can’t absorb any hits.

Devine was a highly touted prospect going into West Virginia, most notable being a candidate for ESPN’s NEXT some years back. He rushed for 4317 yards and 29 touchdowns on 729 carries in 4 years, three as a starter after Steve Slaton graduated and was drafted in the 3rd round by Houston. He also caught 91 passes in his last 3 years, so he can do that, but I don’t think he’s anything more than a really fast kick returner and a maybe 3rd down back at the next level.

NFL Comparison: Brandon Banks

By Packrphan 

Pain and misery fill the air

Penalty flags flying everywhere.

At Soldier Field on Monday night

It was better to be a Bear.

Pardon my little poetic intro, Packer fans, but what can you say after a game like last night in ChiTown? Well, lots. And it does help to vent.

For purposes of clarity, we can borrow a lyric from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to describe and summarize the game: “Give it away, give it away, give it away, now.”

With a franchise record 18 (at last count) penalties, the Packers did to themselves what Da Bearz on their own couldn’t do: make them lose the game.

I was in the stands at Soldier Field last night and the game was fugly, as the expression goes. I’m sure it was just as ugly watching on TV. Except the advantage of the latter is you are not surrounded by Bearz fans. Although I must say it was an interesting experience. Other than my two Bearz’ fan companions (who generously provided me with the ticket…you know who you are…and thank you again!), the range of conversation by those around us generally focused throughout the game on how lousy a QB Jay Cutler is, how Da Bearz have no offensive line or running game, how the secondary was letting Aaron Rodgers slice and dice them down the field, how much they hate head coach Lovie Smith, and…when the final seconds ticked off the clock, oh, but what a great team Da Bearz are. Yeah, right.

There was one of those in-stadium text polls during the game asking Bearz’ fans to vote for which player was the team’s best offensive weapon: QB Jay Cutler, WR Johnny Knox and two others I don’t recall. Toward the end of the game, the results were posted. Knox got about 43 percent of the vote. Cutler? He got 5 percent. Five percent! Where’s the love for your QB, Bearz fans? A bit of an insight there into Bearz fans…yes, I know, it’s a scary thing to contemplate. But believe me, it’s even scarier to see in person. Yikes!

Anyway…on this night, yes, Da Bearz got a “W” courtesy of great special teams’ performance — where I had given Da Bearz the edge in my preview — and Packers’ penalties. The best offense Da Bearz had going for them was the Packers’ penalties. Missed opportunities abounded. A touchdown pass was taken off the scoreboard because of a penalty. At least two interceptions were overturned because of penalties. A blocked field goal, and two big punt returns — including the one for a TD — were unexcusible breakdowns.

The old saying about shooting oneself in the foot applies very well to this game. But the Packers didn’t rely on just one six-shooter to do themselves in. They had three of ’em to do the job: 18 penalties. Mind blowing. Game losing.

“Give it away, give it away, give it away, now.”

I had predicted a close game with a final score of 24-20 Packers. For the third straight week I got the score of the winning team correct. Unfortunately, last night it was Da Bearz 20-17 over the Pack. If James Jones had protected the ball on the sideline and not fumbled it’s quite possible the Pack could have driven down and gotten that 24-20 victory I predicted. Even Bearz fans around me were bemoaning the fact that Da Bearz’ defense couldn’t stop the Packers. The only thing that could stop the Pack last night was themselves. And they did. Over and over and over.

“Give it away, give it away, give it away, now.”

In my preseason preview I indicated that the Pack would lose a game they should have won within the first six games. This was that one.

Da Bearz sit atop not only the NFC North but the NFC as a whole. For the moment. They are not, at this point, a good team despite the record. But on this night, they did what they needed to do to come out with a win. The Packers just couldn’t get out of their own way.

“Give it away, give it away, give it away, now.”

The good news is that the Detroit Lions visit Lambeau Field on Sunday. Just what the doctor ordered for the Packers to help put this miserable showing behind them.

http://PackerFansUnited.com 

 

 

2010 Record: 2-14

Draft Position: 1

2010 Season Recap: Click Here

Offseason Needs: Click Here

Free Agents/Team Transactions: Click Here

Draft Grades: Click Here

Key Offseason Moves: None

 

 

 

ABOUT ME 

Phillip Crossland is a syndicated writer for Bleacher Report, and his blog features many published articles that have been featured on Bleacher Report, Yard barker, CBS Sports, USA Today and many more. In a recent interview, Phillip announced his start of his new Seattle Seahawks Blog.

Note from Phil:

I’m so excited about the 2010 Seattle Seahawks season that I decided to put my creative juice to work. I will be posting articles, photos, videos, tweets and podcast.

Phillip Crossland played Football as a player and had a full scholarship to Texas Tech in till the third game of his senior year when he was clipped and tore his ACL and MCL, now a fan of football and now a Sports Writer.  Since he was a kid in the 80′s and 90′s he been a die-hard Seahawks fan including all the ups and downs. Come join Seattle Seahawks Blog as the season unfolds.

Feel free to post interesting, friendly and well thought-out comments. GO SEAHAWKS!

 

 

 

Main Seahawks Blog 

http://seahawksfans.wordpress.com/

Second Blog

http://flightoftheseahawks.com/

RSS Feed

http://feeds.feedburner.com/SeahawksFansBlog?format=xml 

 

Twitter Name seahawksphil

Myspace Flight of the Seahawks

Facebook seahawksphil

 

Email: seahawksphil@gmail.com  

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. Andrew Luck (Stanford) 100

2. Robert Griffin (Baylor) 98

3. Brock Osweiler (Arizona State) 81

4. Ryan Tannehill (Texas A&M) 76

5. Kirk Cousins (Michigan State) 67

6. Russell Wilson (Wisconsin) 59

7. Nick Foles (Arizona) 56

8. Ryan Lindley (San Diego State) 55

9. Kellen Moore (Boise State) 54

10. Brandon Weeden (Oklahoma State) 53 

11. BJ Coleman (UT-Chattanooga) 51

12. Case Keenum (Houston) 49

13. Darron Thomas (Oregon) 45

 

 

RB Kenneth Darby

FB Mike Karney 

WR Danny Amendola 

WR Mark Clayton

WR Laurent Robinson

TE Daniel Fells

OT Renardo Foster

G John Greco

G Adam Goldberg

DE CJ Ah You

DT Gary Gibson

DT Clifton Ryan

OLB David Vobora

OLB Chris Chamberlain

OLB Larry Grant

CB Justin King- resigned 

CB Kevin Dockery

CB Quincy Butler

S OJ Atogwe- signed with Washington 5 years 26 million 

Offseason moves: 

Resigned Justin King

Cut OJ Atogwe

Cut Mike Karney

Draft

() FA Rank

QB Marc Bulger

RB Jalen Parmele

RB Matt Lawrence (exclusive rights)

FB Le’Ron McClain 

WR TJ Houshmanzadeh

OT Jared Gaither

OT Oniel Cousins

OT Tony Moll

G Marshal Yanda

G Chris Chester

G Bryan Mattison

NT Lamar Divens- resigned

NT Kelly Talavou

3-4 DE Haloti Ngata (#4)- franchised

Haloti Ngata is one bad dude. He’s 355 pounds and moves like a linebacker. He’s one of the best defensive linemen in the league and should be paid as such.

RLB Prescott Burgess

MLB Jameel McClain (exclusive rights)

MLB Dannell Ellerbe (exclusive rights)

MLB Tavares Gooden

CB Chris Carr (#49)

Carr broke out this season, just in time for a new contract. The Ravens front 7 play may have helped him out big time.

CB Josh Wilson

CB Fabian Washington

CB Cary Williams

S Dawan Landry

S Tom Zbikowski

S Haruki Nakamura

P Sam Koch- resigned 5 years

Offseason moves:

Resigned Lamar Divens

Franchised Haloti Ngata

Resigned Sam Koch

Draft

 

Wide receiver

LSU

6-3 210

Draft board overall prospect rank: #44

Draft board overall wide receiver rank: #6

Overall rating: 77 (2nd round)

40 time: 4.55

Games watched: LSU/Mississippi State, LSU/Florida, LSU/Alabama, Arkansas/LSU, Georgia/LSU, LSU/Western Kentucky, LSU/Alabama (Part 2)

Positives

·         Great size

·         Physical with cornerbacks

·         A good blocker

·         Reliable hands

·         An end zone threat

·         Pro style experience

·         Solid route runner

·         Played against top competition

·         Good production in conservative offense in 2011 (53 catches for 917 yards and 8 touchdowns)

·         Wide catch radius

·         Good outside receiver

·         Tough to tackle

·         Solid speed for his size

·         Flashes elite abilities

Negatives

·         Only one season of strong production

·         Never had elite production

·         Really struggled against Dre Kirkpatrick in their 2 matchups (5 catches for 32 yards)

·         Incredibly inconsistent (7 games of 3 catches or fewer in 2011)

·         Still raw

·         Not smooth out of breaks

·         Lacks top end speed

NFL Comparison: Brandon LaFell

A prospect getting some late 1^st round buzz is Reuben Randle. The big 6-3 receiver has good size and speed and had good production even in a conservative offense at LSU last season. He certainly looks like a first round talent at times, but after watching a lot of LSU’s games, it’s clear that he’s incredibly inconsistent. There are some games like the Arkansas game where he is incredibly dominant. Randle caught 9 passes for 132 yards in that game, over 50% of his team’s aerial production.

However, he also had 7 games where he had 3 or fewer catches. Some of this has to do with the inconsistencies of quarterbacks Jordan Jefferson and Jarret Lee, but some of it was also his fault. Against Georgia, Randle really struggled against Brandon Boykin, a much smaller cornerback. The 5-9 Boykin is a good player who is expected to go in the 2^nd or 3^rd round, but it was a matchup he should have won and he didn’t.

Jordan Jefferson played awful in that game, but Boykin blanketed Randle, holding him to 2 catches for 15 yards. He was targeted early and often, but he just wasn’t open. The smaller cornerback was in better position all night and timed his leaps better, getting 2 pass deflections. Randle also really struggled against Alabama’s Dre Kirkpatrick, combing for 5 catches for 32 yards in 2 games this season against Alabama.

Randle compares to another former LSU wide receiver, Brandon LaFell. LaFell is a big receiver and a good blocker like Randle and had good production in LSU’s conservative offense. There was a time when LaFell had some first round buzz, but he eventually went in the 3^rd round. He’s now a solid, but unspectacular #2 receiver in Carolina. In just his 2nd season, he had 36 catches for 613 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2011.

Randle figures to go in the 2^nd round, with an outside shot at the end of the 1^st round if there’s a run of receivers. Either way, he figures to be the 5^th wide receiver off the board behind Justin Blackmon, Michael Floyd, Kendall Wright, and Stephen Hill. That puts him securely in the top 40 picks. Options for him include Houston (26), New England (27 or 31), St. Louis (33 or 39), Indianapolis (34), Minnesota (35), Cleveland (37), and Jacksonville (38).

 

 

Quarterback

Texas A&M

6-4 222

Draft board overall prospect rank: #49

Draft board overall quarterback rank: #4

Overall rating: 76 (late 2^nd rounder)

40 time: 4.65

Games watched: Oklahoma State/Texas A&M, Iowa State/Texas A&M, Texas A&M/Baylor

Positives

·         Freak athlete

·         Former wide receiver (only player in college football history with 4000 passing yards and 1500 receiving yards)

·         Caught 55 balls for 844 yards and 5 touchdowns as a freshman in 2008 (led the team in receiving, no slouch as a receiver)

·         Experience as a wide receiver does help him with some of the mental aspects of the quarterback position

·         Can make every throw as a quarterback

·         Turned around the team in 2010, 3-3 when he took over as quarterback, finished 9-4

·         Mobile, but looks to throw first

·         Uses his legs to buy time

·         Can avoid sacks and scramble for big gains on the ground

·         Pro style experience under Mike Sherman

·         Only scratching the surface on his potential

Negatives

·         Inexperienced, 20 career starts

·         Has only been coached as a quarterback for a two years

·         Lack of elite statistical production (2010: 65.0%/7.0 YPA/13:6, 2011: 61.6%/7.1 YPA/29:15)

·         Disappointed as a senior

·         7-6 record as a senior

·         Blew a lot of big needs as a senior

·         Inconsistent

·         No defining win

·         Not NFL ready

·         Small hands

NFL Comparison: More athletic Mark Sanchez

Mark Sanchez doesn’t have Tannehill’s history as a wide receiver, but very few do and in almost every other way, they are very similar prospects. Sanchez was one of the most inexperienced quarterbacks to ever get drafted in the first round when he went 5^th overall in 2009 despite 16 collegiate starts. Tannehill has 20, but has similar inexperience problems.

Sanchez was a late riser in the draft process into the top 10 even though he never had elite production (65.8%/8.8 YPA/34:10 as a senior) and even though he was inexperienced because of his tools. Tannehill was slightly less productive and slightly more experienced, but they are similar prospects enjoying similar rises as a prospect.

Tannehill was once a borderline first rounder, but now looks like a top-12 pick lock, going as high as 4^th to Cleveland. Like Sanchez, Tannehill will struggle as a rookie (53.8%/6.7/12:20) and will have an up and down career. Unlike Sanchez, Tannehill probably won’t be fortunate enough to land on a team with as much talent around him as the Jets and thus he will be exposed as a below average quarterback earlier than his 3^rd year (as Sanchez started to get exposed last season with less talent around him).

Sanchez probably needed some time to develop as a quarterback, rather than being thrown out there week 1. Tannehill needs that too and where he lands will determine whether or not he gets that. He’s certainly got all the tools. He’s a freak athlete who could have ended up getting drafted as a wide receiver had he continued on that path. In fact, he was his team’s leader in receiving in 2008 as a freshman, over Jeff Fuller, who could be drafted this season.

As a quarterback, he can make all the throws, but he’s inexperienced and inconsistent. He only made 20 starts and more importantly, he only had 2 years of collegiate coaching at quarterback. He certainly flashes on tape, but he had an inconsistent senior season, blew a lot of leads, and ended up with a 7-6 record. However, he’s only scratching his potential as a passer and can be a solid starter in time, but I don’t think he’s worth a top 10 pick or a guy who can start right away.