Senior Bowl week

[Icness]

http://football.realgm.com/src_wiretap_ ... _practice/


Monday Notes:
Jeff Risdon/RealGM - The first day of practices are split, with the South practicing at a different stadium at the same time. I stuck with the North squad at Ladd Peebles, which has improved its turf.

It was drizzly, off and on light rain before the sun poked out at the end of practice. Little wind, 71 degrees.

Most of the focus today was on offensive skill position players and DBs.

The QBs
--The one thing that really stands out is how small these guys are. Russell Wilson from Wisconsin measured in at 5’10” and seeing him on the field with his peers that almost seems generous. In the pre-practice warmup, the coaches were working with Wilson to square his shoulders with his feet and the target. It appeared to be a foreign concept to him and it did not stick into the later portion of practice. Wilson does have some real positives though. He is very naturally on his toes and his heels never touch the ground when he’s back to pass. His backpedal was the smoothest and even though he isn’t often fundamentally square, he does a good job with weight transfer. He throws a noticeably high deep ball but it does not hang like you would expect a ball thrown with that arc. Accuracy was generally solid and it’s hard to be too tough on that with any of these guys as it’s the first time they’ve ever thrown to these receivers.

--Kirk Cousins is easily the biggest of the trio and he has the most consistently strong arm. If you have watched Michigan State a lot, you can infer the negativity that entails. Cousins has shortened his step into his throw since the season ended and the ball appears to have better initial velocity. He is much better at throwing to his left than his right, where he was pretty consistently low and a half-step off target. Cousins had a couple of throws that got away but always had the tightest spiral on his throws.

--Kellen Moore is not an NFL QB if he is to be judged by Monday. That opinion is most certainly shared by a NFC West head coach who was intently watching him early in practice. Moore measured in at just under 6’ tall but unlike the even shorter Wilson, he simply does not look real athletic. In the backpedal drill he kept glancing down at his feet, unsure of his balance. But the biggest knock is arm strength, or his quite apparent lack thereof. There is little requisite pace on his throws and his spiral devolves as it travels farther down the field. There were a couple of occasions where the coaches got on him to fire the ball but it was still visibly weaker than the other two QBs. He also needs lots of work on processing the defense; it’s pretty clear that at Boise they let him throw a play regardless of the coverage. Twice he misread inside technique and sent the ball flying to open space.

The WRs
Impressive overall group here..
--Devier Posey had an up-and-down afternoon. He showed a quick release and smooth footwork, but his hands were inconsistent. He made a beautiful lunging catch across the middle on a sweet read and throw from Cousins in 7s drills, but Posey also juggled one and had another bounce off his knee. He absolutely torched Asa Jackson on a corner route but Wilson threw the ball out of the back of the end zone. Cousins looked to Posey a lot.

--Marvin Jones from California impressed me on Monday. He’s got good quickness for a bigger WR and demonstrated he can get down to make a catch. He blew past Leonard Johnson on a 9 route and crossed Donnie Fletcher nicely on a slant. He made a great rebound catch where Alfonzo Dennard arrived with the football and the ball launched high into the air; Jones kept his concentration and caught it while lying on his side.

--Gerell Robinson caught everything near him, but he had some issues getting separation. He’s got a long, deliberate stride and really gears down when he makes a cut. Robinson also didn’t sell his moves real well; Oklahoma CB Jamell Fleming didn’t buy his half-baked move and rode him hard on an out route, eliminating the throwing window.

--Brian Quick from Appalachian State had a rough day. He is built just like Plaxico Burress and he has good get-off speed, but his hands appear slow. What I mean by that is that the ball gets into his pads quickly and if the throw is at his torso he has no prayer of getting his long arms out fast enough to catch it. The one ball all day that Kellen Moore really rifled hit Quick between the numbers while Quick’s arms were still extending out to get it. The coaches kept working him on anticipating the defense during his route. A lot to work with, but a lot of work to do.

--TJ Graham from NC State reminded me of Vincent Brown from a year ago. He’s smaller than the other guys but he has very good feet and crisp routes. He consistently reached out and seized the ball from the air. One of his out cuts left Asa Jackson out in the cold. He has the trappings of a zone-busting #3 wideout.

--Marvin McNutt is slighter in person than he appears on film. He caught my eye at the onset of practice as he and Posey were peppering like volleyball players (think hot potato) that made this vballer proud. He has some deceptive speed changes and comes out of his breaks hard. He also tracks the deep ball very well, which stood out during his Iowa career too.

The TEs
The Vikings, who are running the North, clearly don’t have much of a use for tight ends in their offense. They moved UMass TE Emil Igwenagu to work as a fullback for the majority of practice, and he looks the part of a H-back type of move tight end. I think they did him a favor in showcasing him in that role.

--Michael Egnew fits the physical prototype of the split-out tight end: long, long-limbed, tightly muscled, pretty fast but not ideal speed. He really struggled doing a drill early in practice where they asked him to fight a jam and release up the field. He is very upright as he runs and that leaves him vulnerable to physical coverage. Egnew did run a nice seam route in 11’s.

--Brian Linthicum from Michigan State fared better getting off the jam, but he is a bit plodding out of his cuts. Looks like a #2 tight end. I give him bonus points for spending a couple of minutes with me before practice today.

The corners
--Leonard Johnson from Iowa State really disappointed me as I have pretty high expectations from a conversation I had with a scout earlier this year and also from catching a few ISU games. Johnson was slow to react to the route and took a big ol’ step in the bucket when breaking on the ball. His hips were tight and his closing burst was nothing special. I am hoping for a better day tomorrow.

--Asa Jackson from Cal Poly looked overmatched. He’s the smallest guy out there, but that’s not his problem. Twice he crossed his feet when the receiver crossed him, a cardinal sin for a corner. As noted above, he got easily beaten a couple of times. One another play he had decent position on Posey but never located the ball and then couldn’t dislodge it from Posey. He’s greener than expected. Jackson did flash nicely in punt return drills, an attribute which could buy him developmental time. He reminds me of former Mr. Irrelevant Ramzee Robinson, but faster.

--Donnie Fletcher from Boston College was real hit-and-miss. He’s not as long as his size would indicate but he understands where to be in the zone. Needs to work on exploding out of his break and anticipating the route. He looked better in 11’s than 7’s, which is a good thing.

--Alfonzo Dennard from Nebraska is the highest rated coming in here, but this is not really his venue. Press coverage is not allowed and that’s his forte. He is very physical and carries himself almost like a safety. I see some Malcolm Jenkins to him. He should shine more when the squads are in full pads the next couple of days. Good instincts.

--Jamell Fleming of Oklahoma showed he can close on the ball and get out of his backpedal smoothly. There were a couple of times where he would have been called for illegal contact.

--D’Anton Lynn from Penn State is pretty thickly built, clearly the biggest calves of the group. Yes, I’m checking out dudes’ legs. Honestly he didn’t make much of an impression and I’ll try harder later this week.

--He’s not a corner, but Boise State safety George Iloka drew buzz early on Monday at the weigh in. He is a very impressive physical specimen at 6’3” and 223 pounds and in practice he showed good straight line speed. He has some Taylor Mays to him, however: not real instinctive and very much a train tracks defender. Iloka doesn’t have the arrogance of Mays and clearly wants to impress and learn.

Special mention for Wisconsin punter Brad Nortman, who impressed a lot of people. During the end of practice I was standing with a group of coaches that had the stopwatch out. All of his punts had at least 4.6 hang time, with the final boom hanging 4.97 seconds while sailing just under 55 yards in the air. His first two punts earlier in practice both topped 60 yards on the fly, albeit with zero pressure. Definitely draftable, and if you have read my draft stuff in the past 6 years you know I don’t say that lightly.

Seen talking after practice, and please don’t read anything into this other than face value reporting:

--The Panthers staff in attendance divided and conquered the corners, notably Leonard Johnson and Jamell Fleming.

--The Ravens and Shea McClelland, who played all the LB positions in practice today, and none of them real well in my brief looks.

--The Raiders talked to Alameda Ta’Amu and Trenton Robinson, both of whom are in play for their one draft pick.

--The Seahawks waited patiently to talk to Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins.

--The Browns flocked to interior linemen, notably Tony Bergstrom and Johnnie Troutman. Cleveland also talked to Isaiah Pead.

--The Bengals talked to Devier Posey, Doug Martin, and Dan Herron.

--The 49ers talked to JM Johnson and Marvin Jones

[Icness]

Some tidbits for the faithful here:
--Most of the coaches went to the South practice, the North was mostly scouts and a few coaches.

--Lots of kudos abounded back at the hotel for Mike Adams. He's most definitely a top 25 pick. Told you so!

--For a team with a great punter the 49ers spent an awful lot of time with Brad Nortman and they are meeting with him right now

--I have met him before but I was shocked at how short Gunther Cunningham looked today. His eyeballs were at my nipples. He was intently watching George Iloka and Harrison Smith.

--I cannot overstate how unathletic and unimpressive Kellen Moore is in person. He looks like he's never seen a weight room and his arm strength was pathetic. I mean, he makes Colt McCoy look like John Elway.

--I spent a few minutes talking to a Raiders staffer and he fully expects to be fired by the end of the week. He was hoping to score an interview with the Packers in a twist of irony. He believes the Raiders will wind up back in the 1st round somehow, though I can't see how.

--Going to focus on the lines for the North tomorrow, we'll see about the South. I've talked to a handful of South players and they appear to be taking the game itself more seriously.

[hermes]

http://football.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/25608/20120123/senior_bowl_notes_mondays_north_practice/


--Alfonzo Dennard from Nebraska is the highest rated coming in here, but this is not really his venue. Press coverage is not allowed and that’s his forte. He is very physical and carries himself almost like a safety. I see some Malcolm Jenkins to him. He should shine more when the squads are in full pads the next couple of days. Good instincts.

where might dennard go in the draft?

and would he be someone that the vikings might look to (if they have the chance to draft him of course) to help their battered secondary?

[hermes]

and here are the senior bowl rosters for those who are interested

http://www.seniorbowl.com/rosters.asp

[Jaruff]

I know it's not the Senior Bowl but did you happen to check out the "Battle of Florida" game? I watched it for Stephen Garcia (who played well I thought) but if you had a chance to check it out, anyone stand out as far as helping/hurting their draft stock? I know these were guys not invited to the Senior Bowl but we all know people slip through the cracks each year.

Edit: Throw Josh McGregor in there too. I read some interesting things about him.

[Icness]

I know it's not the Senior Bowl but did you happen to check out the "Battle of Florida" game? I watched it for Stephen Garcia (who played well I thought) but if you had a chance to check it out, anyone stand out as far as helping/hurting their draft stock? I know these were guys not invited to the Senior Bowl but we all know people slip through the cracks each year.

Edit: Throw Josh McGregor in there too. I read some interesting things about him.

I have not seen it but Garcia was a topic of conversation last night. He apparently impressed and is finally drug free. The fact that so many NFL people think Steve Spurrier is insane helps his case.

McGregor is on the lower end of the radar for QB prospects. I've never seen him play. It sounds like he had a solid week with his accuracy.

[studcrackers]

saw you write glowingly on wolfe from cincinatti, where's he projected to go? and can he play a 3-4 end?

also where are zach brown and basey heyward projected?

also, any cowboys news you've heard thus far? i saw a report that they talked to janoris jenkins but that's it

[Icness]

Wolfe is a 3rd/4th rounder though he might fall a little because he's not a real stud athlete.

Cowboys have had meetings with Jenkins, LSU safety Brandon Taylor, and Vandy CB Casey Hayward that I know of. One of their coaches spent a lot of time with Michigan DT Mike Martin after practice yesterday too.

[Icness]

Some stuff from last night:
--Nobody expects the Packers to franchise Flynn. One coach at the bar--who knows his QBs--told me he wouldn't give a 2nd for Flynn. The context of his accomplishment, a meaningless game against a terrible pass defense missing it's top 2 DBs, weighs heavily. Sorry Packer Backers, you're not likely to get anything for him.

--Detroit is not going to keep both Shaun Hill and Drew Stanton and there will be demand for whichever they let go (both are UFA). Sounds like they prefer Hill but they're not going to overpay to keep him. They would like to join the ranks of the "2 active QBs" teams with one on the practice squad.

--A Calvin Johnson extension will be done before the draft and it is going to be massive.

--I put it in the South notes from yesterday but there are real legs to the Colts hiring Marc Trestman from the CFL. I would like that choice, he's a passing game savant.

--Biggest loser of the week so far is Clemson DT Brandon Thompson, who came here out of shape and has done nothing. He won't sniff the top 50.

[Bucksfans1and2]

Some stuff from last night:
--Nobody expects the Packers to franchise Flynn. One coach at the bar--who knows his QBs--told me he wouldn't give a 2nd for Flynn. The context of his accomplishment, a meaningless game against a terrible pass defense missing it's top 2 DBs, weighs heavily. Sorry Packer Backers, you're not likely to get anything for him.

--Detroit is not going to keep both Shaun Hill and Drew Stanton and there will be demand for whichever they let go (both are UFA). Sounds like they prefer Hill but they're not going to overpay to keep him. They would like to join the ranks of the "2 active QBs" teams with one on the practice squad.

--A Calvin Johnson extension will be done before the draft and it is going to be massive.

--I put it in the South notes from yesterday but there are real legs to the Colts hiring Marc Trestman from the CFL. I would like that choice, he's a passing game savant.

--Biggest loser of the week so far is Clemson DT Brandon Thompson, who came here out of shape and has done nothing. He won't sniff the top 50.

I'm fairly certain that Kevin Seifert bumbled the numbers in this article:

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/ ... ons-future

but I'm not totally certain. Any word on that.

Also, the interest in Flynn is 3rd round comp pick worthy, correct??

[Bucksfans1and2]

Some stuff from last night:
--Nobody expects the Packers to franchise Flynn. One coach at the bar--who knows his QBs--told me he wouldn't give a 2nd for Flynn. The context of his accomplishment, a meaningless game against a terrible pass defense missing it's top 2 DBs, weighs heavily. Sorry Packer Backers, you're not likely to get anything for him.

--Detroit is not going to keep both Shaun Hill and Drew Stanton and there will be demand for whichever they let go (both are UFA). Sounds like they prefer Hill but they're not going to overpay to keep him. They would like to join the ranks of the "2 active QBs" teams with one on the practice squad.

--A Calvin Johnson extension will be done before the draft and it is going to be massive.

--I put it in the South notes from yesterday but there are real legs to the Colts hiring Marc Trestman from the CFL. I would like that choice, he's a passing game savant.

--Biggest loser of the week so far is Clemson DT Brandon Thompson, who came here out of shape and has done nothing. He won't sniff the top 50.

PS: what's Konz's range?? Any chance he's available and the Packers hit that??

PPS: Any chance in hell Nick Perry is available where the Packers are picking?

[Icness]

Konz is 25-40 overall range, so he's in play. Probably.

Nick Perry is a top 15 pick, maybe top 10 if he really knocks out the Combine, which most everyone expects. He's not worth that IMO but that doesn't mean it won't happen.

Some Packer notes for y'all:
--they are most definitely interested in the defensive ends here. Derek Wolfe from Cincy and Kendall Reyes from UConn are both piquing their interest. Reyes lasting to their 2nd is pretty iffy. Wolfe could be there in the 3rd.

--They met yesterday with Jake Bequette (who will be a OLB) and spent some time this morning Bill Bentley (CB La Laf) and Brandon Taylor (S LSU), among others informally. I like Bentley and he would be a great schematic fit, allowing Woodson to move to safety.

--One of their scouts was assigned to chart the centers only at both practices today. Don't know what he thought, and it's not unusual for a team to do that, but I find it intriguing that they happen to have a free agent at center.

--After the South practice they talked with Nick Foles, Nigel Bradham, and Markelle Martin. Don't read much into that other than taking the opportunity to chat.

Also, Zeitler has not been impressive in practices. Wilson is not being received well, his height is a real downer. Nortman is killing it as punter, one of the big winners of the week. Could go 4th round. Bradie Ewing was decent today after not showing much before, has a shot to get drafted late as a FB/ST ace.


Regarding Flynn compensation, depends on his contract and how much he plays but I have little doubt that would bring back a 3rd.

Regardin Megatron extension, I think Seifert is right with the numbers in theory but it's not practical in application. The numbers I've heard--and I've looked at the horse in the mouth--are 4yrs/$82M with over $40 guaranteed and largely structured to make the cap hit huge in one year. It will be difficult to work around but they seem okay with it, and they've run it by Stafford to make sure he's cool with taking a contract that works with it too.

[Bucksfans1and2]

Konz is 25-40 overall range, so he's in play. Probably.

Nick Perry is a top 15 pick, maybe top 10 if he really knocks out the Combine, which most everyone expects. He's not worth that IMO but that doesn't mean it won't happen.

Some Packer notes for y'all:
--they are most definitely interested in the defensive ends here. Derek Wolfe from Cincy and Kendall Reyes from UConn are both piquing their interest. Reyes lasting to their 2nd is pretty iffy. Wolfe could be there in the 3rd.

--They met yesterday with Jake Bequette (who will be a OLB) and spent some time this morning Bill Bentley (CB La Laf) and Brandon Taylor (S LSU), among others informally. I like Bentley and he would be a great schematic fit, allowing Woodson to move to safety.

--One of their scouts was assigned to chart the centers only at both practices today. Don't know what he thought, and it's not unusual for a team to do that, but I find it intriguing that they happen to have a free agent at center.

--After the South practice they talked with Nick Foles, Nigel Bradham, and Markelle Martin. Don't read much into that other than taking the opportunity to chat.

Also, Zeitler has not been impressive in practices. Wilson is not being received well, his height is a real downer. Nortman is killing it as punter, one of the big winners of the week. Could go 4th round. Bradie Ewing was decent today after not showing much before, has a shot to get drafted late as a FB/ST ace.


Regarding Flynn compensation, depends on his contract and how much he plays but I have little doubt that would bring back a 3rd.

Regardin Megatron extension, I think Seifert is right with the numbers in theory but it's not practical in application. The numbers I've heard--and I've looked at the horse in the mouth--are 4yrs/$82M with over $40 guaranteed and largely structured to make the cap hit huge in one year. It will be difficult to work around but they seem okay with it, and they've run it by Stafford to make sure he's cool with taking a contract that works with it too.

What's your take on Scott Wells as a player? Some people seem to have a hard on for the guy, and others see him as a bit of a system guy. Is some team going to dump a truck load of money on his door step (compared to other Centers). He won't get more than Myers will he??

I was pretty sure you were going to say that about Perry. OOC what don't you like about him? He's not Melvin Ingram on the edge, but of the perimeter guys he seems to have less red on him than anybody but Upshaw.

Not surprised about the DEs. Ours were a total waste of space this year. Any chance getting somebody across from Raji will make him stop sucking ass?? Wolfe and Winn are my man crushes right now. Wouldn't mind picking up both in the 2nd and 3rd tbh.

Do you mean Dwight Bentley (CB from Louis Laff) or is there a Bill Bentley I need to keep an eye on??

Is the Collins prognosis so bad that Woodson would be moved to Safety? or was Burnett so poor this year that the Packers are worried. Even though he was pretty bad, I'm excited for Burnett. So I'd be disappointed if that were the case. I've seen Taylor anywhere from a 3rd to a 7th rounder. Is he an immediate impact guy or is that a depth selection? You've now got me worried about our Safeties and i was hoping next year we'd have Collins back and Burnett would take the leap.

Foles, Bradham, and Martin all make sense. Pepprah was steaming trash and Collins is up in the air at this point. Bradham is supposedly pretty good in coverage which none of our backers except for Clay can do at all. Foles could be the backup/#3 guy on the roster.

What's your take on the safeties? My man crushes were Martin, Iloka, and Lester. but Lester went back to school. Is Barron really a 1st round pick??

News on Zeitler is disappointing. Is he getting any reps at Center? I've always felt that was his more natural position, with Brewster dropping his stock is there going to be more demand for Centers? How's my boy Philip Blake doing??

Not surprised on Wilson at all. He was overrated at Madison. He was good for 2 or 3 overthrown balls a game at Madison and he doesn't have the pocket maneuverability to survive in the pros long term. Seems more like a guy to get you out of a game so you can call Seneca Wallace than a possible starter.

I have a horrible feeling that Ewing will end up a Packer and he'll be Kuhn 2.0. Why did we pay a FB who can't block and only tempts McCarthy to call dumb ass plays?

You high on Nortman?? I thought we were brothers in arms that Punters are like 2X4s and you can always pick up a few good ones at Home Depot. **** BJ Sander and **** Mike Sherman

There's a comp pick guy who's got the formula down. I guess my question is how much do you estimate is he making per year after this offseason??

I thought the deal with the Megatron money was that a little bit had been moved from this year to last year. Also 20.5 for a WR and the worst part is it's probably worth it. Need the Bucks to take a page out of the Lions book.

Packers checking out any of the OLBs other than Bequette? who reminds me disturbingly of a faster Ricky Elmore (What a bum)

What's your projection on Osweiler? I thought he made an awful decision coming out, was wondering what the consensus in the biz was on that.

Is somebody going to take Burfict in the 1st round??

[Icness]

Wells is an average center, good fit in GB but nothing outstanding. Not worth overpaying to keep unless line continuity is very important. He will ask for Myers money, or rather his agent will, but I doubt he gets it.

Perry is more one-dimensional than guys like Ingram or Upshaw. Not crazy about anyone that puts up pass rushing numbers in the Pac-12 either. He's got very high upside but I'm not sold he'll reach it. Same with Coples.

You don't want Billy Winn, certainly not in the 3rd. He has zero base anchor ability, really lacks lower body strength. Getting pushed around very easily all week. He's not quick enough to play in space to move to OLB. He's a 4-3 end and not a real promising one IMO. Wolfe is doing quite well.

Dwight Bentley goes by Bill. It's sort of a litmus test to see who has done homework on him in the draftnik community. I don't know why he goes by Bill.

Moving Woodson to safety is more about Woodson than those around him. He lost a step in coverage and oppsoing offenses knew it. he still is savvy enough to make plays, hence the move. Following the career arc of Rod Woodson to a "T". I don't know about Collins' recovery. I would expect him back but not at 100% in '12 and probably never to his old level again.

Burnett is kind of a misfit with Capers' defense. The Packers drafted him as much to spite the Bears, who openly worhsipped him in that draft, as any real desire to have him. He's not a great cover guy and the Packers usually use their ILBs to fill the role he's best suited for, intermediate zone on TEs and backs and filling the run fits behind the OLBs. I thought Burnett played better when the Packers blitzed one of the ILBs and shortened the field and took thought away from him. Part of the problem was that the corners were so awful that he couldn't focus on one particular thing. If Tramon Williams and Sam Shields bounce back--and they should to some extent--he'll be better too.

Taylor is probably a 4th/5th rounder that strikes me as a nickel safety, which is a position that is growing en vogue. Teams are really looking for safeties that have enough size and cover ability to run with the new wave of tight ends. I don't think Taylor is that skilled but he would be worth a look in that range.

George Iloka is better and he's probably played his way into the top 50 this week. He is real impressive physically but he cannot change direction well. Even lined up a few reps as short-side corner yesterday. Martin is a playmaker in the Louis Delmas mode, he's going to make a lot of plays but give up a lot of plays too. Barron will go in the late 1st, which is a little high but he's pretty high floor/low ceiling and well-coached. Seems like a Patriot.

Zeitler got C reps yesterday, did better there than at guard. Phil Blake had a great day today, first I've really focused on the South line. Has good buzz to him.

I'm not big on drafting punters but Nortman is amazing down here. Consistently getting 4.9 hang time with a quick get-off too. 2nd best punter I've seen in my 6 trips to Mobile, with Tom Morstead of the Saints the best. BJ Sander, lol.

Pack could be meeting with others, I just listed the ones I've seen personally or confirmed. Bequette can make a decent #2 rusher, kind of reminds me of Connor Barwin but without the scary goofiness.

Osweiler has some fans in the scouting community. Most are worried that their coach will see him and fall in love with his size and arm. The QBs after the top 3 are very jumbled right now and none are real impressive. Foles is probably bubbling up to the top of that but Osweiler could push his way in with impressive private workouts.

Too early to gauge where Burfict is going because the interview process is so huge for him. Top 10 talent in '10 but fell off this year as he tried to harness his emotions. Tough to balance that too. Just guessing but I think there is too much potential there for him to fall out of the 1st in this class that is sorely lacking dynamic impact players.

[Bucksfans1and2]

Wells is an average center, good fit in GB but nothing outstanding. Not worth overpaying to keep unless line continuity is very important. He will ask for Myers money, or rather his agent will, but I doubt he gets it.

Perry is more one-dimensional than guys like Ingram or Upshaw. Not crazy about anyone that puts up pass rushing numbers in the Pac-12 either. He's got very high upside but I'm not sold he'll reach it. Same with Coples.

You don't want Billy Winn, certainly not in the 3rd. He has zero base anchor ability, really lacks lower body strength. Getting pushed around very easily all week. He's not quick enough to play in space to move to OLB. He's a 4-3 end and not a real promising one IMO. Wolfe is doing quite well.

Dwight Bentley goes by Bill. It's sort of a litmus test to see who has done homework on him in the draftnik community. I don't know why he goes by Bill.

Moving Woodson to safety is more about Woodson than those around him. He lost a step in coverage and oppsoing offenses knew it. he still is savvy enough to make plays, hence the move. Following the career arc of Rod Woodson to a "T". I don't know about Collins' recovery. I would expect him back but not at 100% in '12 and probably never to his old level again.

Burnett is kind of a misfit with Capers' defense. The Packers drafted him as much to spite the Bears, who openly worhsipped him in that draft, as any real desire to have him. He's not a great cover guy and the Packers usually use their ILBs to fill the role he's best suited for, intermediate zone on TEs and backs and filling the run fits behind the OLBs. I thought Burnett played better when the Packers blitzed one of the ILBs and shortened the field and took thought away from him. Part of the problem was that the corners were so awful that he couldn't focus on one particular thing. If Tramon Williams and Sam Shields bounce back--and they should to some extent--he'll be better too.

Taylor is probably a 4th/5th rounder that strikes me as a nickel safety, which is a position that is growing en vogue. Teams are really looking for safeties that have enough size and cover ability to run with the new wave of tight ends. I don't think Taylor is that skilled but he would be worth a look in that range.

George Iloka is better and he's probably played his way into the top 50 this week. He is real impressive physically but he cannot change direction well. Even lined up a few reps as short-side corner yesterday. Martin is a playmaker in the Louis Delmas mode, he's going to make a lot of plays but give up a lot of plays too. Barron will go in the late 1st, which is a little high but he's pretty high floor/low ceiling and well-coached. Seems like a Patriot.

Zeitler got C reps yesterday, did better there than at guard. Phil Blake had a great day today, first I've really focused on the South line. Has good buzz to him.

I'm not big on drafting punters but Nortman is amazing down here. Consistently getting 4.9 hang time with a quick get-off too. 2nd best punter I've seen in my 6 trips to Mobile, with Tom Morstead of the Saints the best. BJ Sander, lol.

Pack could be meeting with others, I just listed the ones I've seen personally or confirmed. Bequette can make a decent #2 rusher, kind of reminds me of Connor Barwin but without the scary goofiness.

Osweiler has some fans in the scouting community. Most are worried that their coach will see him and fall in love with his size and arm. The QBs after the top 3 are very jumbled right now and none are real impressive. Foles is probably bubbling up to the top of that but Osweiler could push his way in with impressive private workouts.

Too early to gauge where Burfict is going because the interview process is so huge for him. Top 10 talent in '10 but fell off this year as he tried to harness his emotions. Tough to balance that too. Just guessing but I think there is too much potential there for him to fall out of the 1st in this class that is sorely lacking dynamic impact players.

That was generally my thoughts on Wells as well. When Lang had to kick over to Tackle and EDS came in the game we couldn't run at all. A guy like Konz would make those double downs a hell of a lot smoother and a Lang-Konz-Sitton-Bulaga setup is a pretty physical group, regardless of who's at LT. I hope Sherrod is healthy next year.

I guess I see Perry as having more potential as a pass rusher than the other two. Upshaw I see as a very balanced backer, good at everything but not rely excelling at getting to the QB. Ingram as the best edge setting prospect i've ever seen with a lot of red in coverage, and difficult to gauge athleticism and pass rushing ability.

The way I see it, there are two moves that really matter in prospects, the speed rush adn the bull rush. Everything else comes off of a variation of those two moves. The Bull is hard to judge for sure until you see the jumps at the combine, but the speed rush is doable based on get-off and flexibility (both are also finalized at the combine for my evaluations. Don't know how the pros do it.) I see Perry as having the best speed rush by a significant margin. He needs a lot of work with his hands but he does a good job of staying clean at the corner which IMO is what makes Jared Allen such a good rusher. Obviously Upshaw is better in coverage and better at the point, but for now i'll take the pass rush skills over the others, especially seeing how much 2-4-5 the Packers play. OLBs aren't dropping much.

At this point I'll take anybody over Walden. How is he in the league??

I only watched the Georgia, TCU and Arizona State games for Boise. I didn't see the base issues, but I'll take your word for it, I was watching more for any sign that anybody could generate any pass rush.

Speaking of Boise, how's McClellin in a 3-4? i though he looked stiff and unathletic but some people are raving about him.

TBH I hadn't heard of Bentley until you mentioned him. Don't catch a lot of Louis Laff games. I know Green is supposed to be a pretty good TE prospect but other than didn't know a thing about the team.

At this point in time i'm having a hell of a time evaluating the defense. The pass rush fell off a cliff for some reason, which led to the corners playing a ton of zone and we played a crazy amount of cover 3 (aka 12 yard curl for a first down ) If the Pass Rush revives do we go back to the press man that worked so well last year or was that an intentional scheme change?? If we go back to the man does Tramon and Shields remove their heads from their asses and go back to playing smart football, or are they just not that good in the first place and were playing over their heads?? At this point the only thing I can conclude is that we need another OLB and probably 2 DEs who can do something. If Collins is out we need another Safety, because Pepprah would be the worst player in the NFL if Walden wasn't in the league.

I've probably deluded myself, but when I was watching Burnett, it reminded me a bit of Eric Berry last year. The potential was obviously there but he was just a second slow to react. My dream is that Collins returns, takes a lot of the thinking responsibilities away from Burnett and allows him to be a more natural player. Based on what your saying that doesn't sound likely.

I'm sad that Iloka is climbing up boards so highly. he was always my steal in the 5th round of all the way too early mocks.

Barwin was one of those guys who had all the numbers that said he was going to be a stud at OLB. I liked him a lot. If Bequette puts up Barwin numbers and not Elmore numbers I'd be thrilled to have him. I didn't think Bequette had that kind of athleticism.

I get the impression the QB Ratings are something like:

Luck (Wild horses couldn't drag Luck from the Colts)


RGIII (Will go 2nd, the question is who offers the Rams the most)

INFINITY NUMBER OF RETURNS

Tannehill (late first prospect taken earlier by a desperate team)

INFINITY NUMBER OF RETURNS

Everyone else

Am I reading that right?

Was Burfict a top 10 prospect? I thought he still had the same issues of being extremely raw even back in 2010 when he was held in much higher esteem.

[PhilipNelsonFan]

I'm not Jeff, BF12, but I can answer to the fact that Vontaze Burfict was a top-10 pick because his physical abilities coupled with an attitude toward murdering ball-carriers made him the most dangerous LB in the country. Physically there was nothing raw about him; emotionally, however, he acted like a toddler. Arizona State actively had to keep him away from the press so he wouldn't conduct interviews, and he got in numerous fights with his teammates in practice. He also asked Dennis Erickson not to put him back into games where the Sun Devils were losing when he had to sit out a rep. Personally, I think Burfict is bats**t insane but I find it very hard to believe he will fail at the next level unless he commits a capital offense.

Real Jeff : How's Harrison Smith's stock looking? He's a good athlete but (IIRC) an okay cover man and I'd think he's in pretty high demand.

Funny also to read Rishaw Johnson's name, if anyone here owns a copy of Meat Market. Had no idea that was where he ended up.

[Icness]

Ryan Tannehill is a top 20 pick, maybe top 10.

RG3 will be the #2 pick. It will be Washington, Cleveland, or Seattle making that pick and the likelihood is in that order.

Beyond that the QBs are a hot mess and it's fairly impossible to accurately slot them at this point. I can see Foles as a late 1st. I think a lot will depend on how free agency plays out with guys like Flynn, Alex Smith, etc. And Peyton Manning too.

[Icness]

TBH I hadn't heard of Bentley until you mentioned him. Don't catch a lot of Louis Laff games. I know Green is supposed to be a pretty good TE prospect but other than didn't know a thing about the team.

No shame in that, they aren't on TV much. I live 3 hours from there and I saw their games twice, plus a handful of clips from games. Green is solid, shorter-range athletic TE. He played almost exclusively in the slot in a 4-receiver spread, and their offense was all about getting the ball out quickly and YAC. One thing I like about Green is that their QB really guns the ball in even on short passes and it requires having strong hands to catch those on shorter routes. Look for their QB next year as a late-round guy, can't think of his name right now.

At this point in time i'm having a hell of a time evaluating the defense. The pass rush fell off a cliff for some reason, which led to the corners playing a ton of zone and we played a crazy amount of cover 3 (aka 12 yard curl for a first down ) If the Pass Rush revives do we go back to the press man that worked so well last year or was that an intentional scheme change?? If we go back to the man does Tramon and Shields remove their heads from their asses and go back to playing smart football, or are they just not that good in the first place and were playing over their heads?? At this point the only thing I can conclude is that we need another OLB and probably 2 DEs who can do something. If Collins is out we need another Safety, because Pepprah would be the worst player in the NFL if Walden wasn't in the league.

I know it's sacrilege with some Packers fans but I thought Dom Capers had a very poor year calling the defense. When safeties can't cover--and yours most certainly couldn't after Collins went down--you can do a number of things to help. You can drop the LBs deeper and give them more to do in the passing game. You can press man more, stopping clean releases and buying time for the safeties to react to where they need to go. You can do more overload blitzes to ostensibly take away one part of the field. I saw very little of any of that from the Packers.

Some of that is because Capers probably didn't feel he had the horses to do it, particularly the more exotic blitzes. I know they blitzed a lot but it often seemed predictable and vanilla, one up the gut and maybe a corner from the other side with Clay going on every snap. Bring three from one side, bring everyone between the tackles, show an overload and then drop everyone; keep the QB and the OL guessing. GB didn't do much of any of these things even though his ILBs weren't bad in coverage and his corners thrive on press. That's the only thing Tramon Williams can do, why tkae that away from him? Capers made some intriguing choices that didn't pan out. Having a better pass rusher opposite Clay would have helped, no doubt. But J-Ville had a similar problem and they did a lot more to cover it and it worked much better. Dallas had worse safeties than anyone so they asked their ILBs to cover a lot more and it helped, and they pressed some too even though their corners weren't real good at it. I found Capers' relative inaction very puzzling.

If I were Ted Thompson I would aggressively look at getting a legit ILB that can be the field general. Clay is a good pass rusher but he's not a vocal leader or real good at setting things up pre-snap. Hawk is just not that guy even though he tries. None of the guys up front are that guy. If you look at when Capers units have thrived it's been when he had a solid ILB that is also the leader of the defense, even if not the best player on the unit. I think they lost a lot when Nick Barnett went to Buffalo and his presence has not been replaced. You can compensate for his numbers but his persona and leadership have yet to be accounted for. I would strongly consider Dont'a Hightower in the 1st if he lasts that long, which is unlikely. Bobby Wagner in the 2nd maybe. Lavonte David would be great but he's too small. Audie Cole fits as a player but he's a quiet guy. Maybe free agency?

[Icness]

Real Jeff : How's Harrison Smith's stock looking? He's a good athlete but (IIRC) an okay cover man and I'd think he's in pretty high demand.

He's having a good week. Bigger and taller in person than I expected and he can run. The bulk of the practice defense has been cover-3 and he hasn't always been at the proper depth but that's fairly nitpicky for 3 days in a scheme. Solidly in the 2nd round IMO.

Funny also to read Rishaw Johnson's name, if anyone here owns a copy of Meat Market. Had no idea that was where he ended up.

I need to make an effort to read that. He's got some pretty ardent supporters, drew some eyes last year when everyone was scouting Josh Portis. Beefy hombre. Get him a nutritionist and some time to catch up to the level of play and he's got legit potential as a Rob Sims type.

[CJ_18]

RG3 will be the #2 pick. It will be Washington, Cleveland, or Seattle making that pick and the likelihood is in that order.

What is the likely cost to move up for these teams?