I am sorry that i haven't posted anything in awhile. I've been busy with my own youtube channel, school, and a new project that Zero and myself are preparing. Zero just got done with a bad sickness, in which is leading me to a bad sickness as well.
I'm sorry that Zero is carrying this blog. I don't know what else to do until the draft happens. Zero is doing a team needs series here so go read those! great reads.
Apologies
Stay Awesome
-Alberto
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Draft Countdown Day 2: San Francisco
(Author's note: Yes, this is a day late. Going to try to push out 2 of these tonight and tomorrow night each to get back on schedule.)
The San Francisco 49ers are already one of the toughest teams in the NFC. There is no doubt about that. However, they are still on the rise. A lot of their talent core is young, and the team is solid. After making it to the Super Bowl this past season, one has to wonder just what type of holes this team could have to fill? The answer is that there really aren't very many. This team is SOLID, with an emphasis being placed on a physical Defense. However, this offseason, they did lose a piece or two on D (Dashon Goldson to Tampa Bay), and do need more depth at certain spots. They did make an interesting addition though (Anquan Boldin from Baltimore), but all in all they do not have very many holes and are in prime position to return to the Super Bowl this upcoming year.
SF Needs: S, CB, OL
S: Again, as mentioned above, San Francisco lost Dashon Goldson to Tampa Bay through Free Agency. And while Craig Dahl (signed from St. Louis) is a solid 3rd Safety to most, he is not really the answer. The Niners were rumored to be looking into Ed Reed and Charles Woodson during the early part of Free Agency, so this will likely be a position that the Niners look to fill early on in the Draft. The Safeties for San Francisco lately have been big hitters; perhaps they look more for a coverage type of Safety this year.
CB: While not really a need, the Niners may be looking for an upgrade here. Carlos Rogers played pretty well last year, but he isn't getting any younger, and teams found that they could attack this secondary late in the year. Perhaps they look at a good young Corner early in the draft that they can play opposite of Rogers to fill in that spot and step in for Rogers in a year or two, depending on how he plays.
OL: Again not really a need, but more of a depth thing. Center Jonathan Goodwin will be 34 this upcoming season, and will likely not be playing too much longer. The rest of the line is great, although I would hope that they would be able to find additional depth later in the draft.
Again, San Francisco will be a major threat this season. They don't have many holes, and with Kaepernick coming into his second season as starter (first as full-time starter), they'll undoubtedly be among the elite in the NFC.
The San Francisco 49ers are already one of the toughest teams in the NFC. There is no doubt about that. However, they are still on the rise. A lot of their talent core is young, and the team is solid. After making it to the Super Bowl this past season, one has to wonder just what type of holes this team could have to fill? The answer is that there really aren't very many. This team is SOLID, with an emphasis being placed on a physical Defense. However, this offseason, they did lose a piece or two on D (Dashon Goldson to Tampa Bay), and do need more depth at certain spots. They did make an interesting addition though (Anquan Boldin from Baltimore), but all in all they do not have very many holes and are in prime position to return to the Super Bowl this upcoming year.
SF Needs: S, CB, OL
S: Again, as mentioned above, San Francisco lost Dashon Goldson to Tampa Bay through Free Agency. And while Craig Dahl (signed from St. Louis) is a solid 3rd Safety to most, he is not really the answer. The Niners were rumored to be looking into Ed Reed and Charles Woodson during the early part of Free Agency, so this will likely be a position that the Niners look to fill early on in the Draft. The Safeties for San Francisco lately have been big hitters; perhaps they look more for a coverage type of Safety this year.
CB: While not really a need, the Niners may be looking for an upgrade here. Carlos Rogers played pretty well last year, but he isn't getting any younger, and teams found that they could attack this secondary late in the year. Perhaps they look at a good young Corner early in the draft that they can play opposite of Rogers to fill in that spot and step in for Rogers in a year or two, depending on how he plays.
OL: Again not really a need, but more of a depth thing. Center Jonathan Goodwin will be 34 this upcoming season, and will likely not be playing too much longer. The rest of the line is great, although I would hope that they would be able to find additional depth later in the draft.
Again, San Francisco will be a major threat this season. They don't have many holes, and with Kaepernick coming into his second season as starter (first as full-time starter), they'll undoubtedly be among the elite in the NFC.
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| Gonna see a lot more of this this year... |
Monday, March 25, 2013
Draft Preview Day 1: Baltimore Ravens
Each day from now until the draft, there will be an entry written about each team in the NFL, along with their team needs. Up first, the Defending Super Bowl champs, the Baltimore Ravens.
After winning the Super Bowl this past year in a game that looked like a blowout initially, the Baltimore Ravens come into the draft this year looking to fill some holes in their back 7 on Defense. Specifically, they're lost both starting safeties (Ed Reed to Houston, Bernard Pollard to Tennessee), both starting Inside Linebackers (Ray Lewis retired to ESPN, Dannelle Ellerbe to Miami), and one of their top 2 Corners from the Super Bowl (Cary Williams to Philadelphia). And while they also lost Paul Kruger to Cleveland through Free Agency, they did make a few good signings that could take OLB out of a needs perspective (Elvis Dumervil from Denver) and allow them to focus more on the interior of their Defense.
BAL needs: ILB, S, CB, WR (maybe)
ILB: As stated above, Baltimore lost both of their starting ILBs from the Super Bowl this offseason, with Ray Lewis retiring to ESPN and Dannelle Ellerbe signing in Miami long term. This position is critical in their preferred 3-4 Defense, and an influx of youth can be considered a necessity. In fact, it has been needed for a few years now, and once Ellerbe decided to bolt for Miami, it became even more critical. I would look for Baltimore to try to fill this need early on if the right guy appears.
S: Again, losing both starting Safeties from the Super Bowl cannot be very good for your team. While Ed Reed is undeniably getting older, he is still one of the biggest threats at Safety in the league. In fact, QBs still tend to throw away from Reed due to how dangerous he can be. As for Bernard Pollard, he is known now as a Patriot Killer (as seen by his taking out Brady, Welker, Gronkowski, and Ridley in recent years), but is almost like a bit of a Rodney Harrison-type in my eyes. He is a Strong Safety who can knock you out, while also showing decent range in coverage. This is an area that Baltimore should more than likely address in the early rounds as well.
CB: Not as much of a need as one thinks. While Baltimore loses Cary Williams, they do get Ladarius Webb back from injury, which will more than adequately replace the departing Williams. Webb was Baltimore's top CB when healthy, and will more than likely step back into that role. The only real reason this is mentioned is that they might want another CB, if only for depth purposes.
WR: Again, not as much of a need. However, with the departure of Anquan Boldin to San Fran, Baltimore could use a receiver to play in the slot. Boldin led the team in receiving yards the last few seasons, so that could be a bit of a loss, but Baltimore does a good job of finding talent to fill needs.
Baltimore should be a good team again this year, but the biggest concern in my eyes is the amount of leadership they've lost so far this offseason. Losing big names like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, players who have been the foundation of the franchise for over a decade, is a big blow. How Baltimore replaces them could be huge in how well they do this upcoming season.
After winning the Super Bowl this past year in a game that looked like a blowout initially, the Baltimore Ravens come into the draft this year looking to fill some holes in their back 7 on Defense. Specifically, they're lost both starting safeties (Ed Reed to Houston, Bernard Pollard to Tennessee), both starting Inside Linebackers (Ray Lewis retired to ESPN, Dannelle Ellerbe to Miami), and one of their top 2 Corners from the Super Bowl (Cary Williams to Philadelphia). And while they also lost Paul Kruger to Cleveland through Free Agency, they did make a few good signings that could take OLB out of a needs perspective (Elvis Dumervil from Denver) and allow them to focus more on the interior of their Defense.
BAL needs: ILB, S, CB, WR (maybe)
ILB: As stated above, Baltimore lost both of their starting ILBs from the Super Bowl this offseason, with Ray Lewis retiring to ESPN and Dannelle Ellerbe signing in Miami long term. This position is critical in their preferred 3-4 Defense, and an influx of youth can be considered a necessity. In fact, it has been needed for a few years now, and once Ellerbe decided to bolt for Miami, it became even more critical. I would look for Baltimore to try to fill this need early on if the right guy appears.
S: Again, losing both starting Safeties from the Super Bowl cannot be very good for your team. While Ed Reed is undeniably getting older, he is still one of the biggest threats at Safety in the league. In fact, QBs still tend to throw away from Reed due to how dangerous he can be. As for Bernard Pollard, he is known now as a Patriot Killer (as seen by his taking out Brady, Welker, Gronkowski, and Ridley in recent years), but is almost like a bit of a Rodney Harrison-type in my eyes. He is a Strong Safety who can knock you out, while also showing decent range in coverage. This is an area that Baltimore should more than likely address in the early rounds as well.
CB: Not as much of a need as one thinks. While Baltimore loses Cary Williams, they do get Ladarius Webb back from injury, which will more than adequately replace the departing Williams. Webb was Baltimore's top CB when healthy, and will more than likely step back into that role. The only real reason this is mentioned is that they might want another CB, if only for depth purposes.
WR: Again, not as much of a need. However, with the departure of Anquan Boldin to San Fran, Baltimore could use a receiver to play in the slot. Boldin led the team in receiving yards the last few seasons, so that could be a bit of a loss, but Baltimore does a good job of finding talent to fill needs.
Baltimore should be a good team again this year, but the biggest concern in my eyes is the amount of leadership they've lost so far this offseason. Losing big names like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, players who have been the foundation of the franchise for over a decade, is a big blow. How Baltimore replaces them could be huge in how well they do this upcoming season.
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| Flacco may have won this past year, but there are a lot of holes to fill in the draft. |
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Why so serious? (or How I Learned to Not Sweat Welker Leaving)
First things first: I want to apologize for the total lack of posts as of late. It's been a busy time for me, as well as for others. There has been a lot of "talk" that has come out lately in regards to Free Agency, but very little actual bite. So, what I want to do now is talk about a lot of the Patriots-related news that has come out since my last post (or lack thereof).
1) Brady's new deal: Yes, I know that this is really old news, but I feel as though I need to talk about this. Brady's decision to sign a 3 year extension is a VERY good one for the team, and with how it's worded, a good one for Brady as well. While the amount that is guaranteed is higher (from what I remember of reading about it, it was pretty much a fully-guaranteed deal, but that was read about 2 weeks ago), what makes it good for the team is that it cuts Brady's cap number down and allows for the team to enter Free Agency at about $25 million under the cap. This is HUGE-it allows the team to try to fill some of the larger needs that it has (I'm looking at CB, Safety, and WR) a bit more than it would have without the extension having been signed. I would hope that Belichick would do everything in hi power to try to fill the needs that he knows the team has with this extra space.
2) Welker is going to test Free Agency: Again, old news, but still worth mentioning. Having taken a little bit of time to think about this matter, I am led to believe that Welker may not be back in a Patriots jersey next year....which is fine, with how the Free Agent pool is this year. What New England needs is a weapon on the outside who can take the top off the Defense. Someone like a Mike Wallace would be nice, but he is looking to command the type of deal that a Megatron or an Andre Johnson would command. This is WAY too much in my opinion. Now, Welker is a valuable tool on offense. He is reliable, and allows the Pats to consistently move the chains on Third Down. However, if he feels as though he deserves the type of money that a Larry Fitzgerald is making, then he's not worth that to me.
3) So will Talib: Still old news, and again I apologize for that. However, this could be a bigger loss to me than Welker. Talib allowed the Pats to move Devin McCourty to safety, which may be his more natural position. He also brought a swagger to the secondary, one that wasn't there before his arrival. This showed during the AFC Championship loss to Baltimore, as once Talib went out of the game, it completely changed the gameplan to one that was WAY more conservative. I would think that it would be a HUGE loss to lose Talib, and I would hope that he does not end up elsewhere.
I'll probably go into more details about Free Agency once it starts on Tuesday. I hope that the Pats make some very solid additions and retain some of the bigger names that are there. And yes, the Jets STILL SUCK.
-TheRealZBD
1) Brady's new deal: Yes, I know that this is really old news, but I feel as though I need to talk about this. Brady's decision to sign a 3 year extension is a VERY good one for the team, and with how it's worded, a good one for Brady as well. While the amount that is guaranteed is higher (from what I remember of reading about it, it was pretty much a fully-guaranteed deal, but that was read about 2 weeks ago), what makes it good for the team is that it cuts Brady's cap number down and allows for the team to enter Free Agency at about $25 million under the cap. This is HUGE-it allows the team to try to fill some of the larger needs that it has (I'm looking at CB, Safety, and WR) a bit more than it would have without the extension having been signed. I would hope that Belichick would do everything in hi power to try to fill the needs that he knows the team has with this extra space.
2) Welker is going to test Free Agency: Again, old news, but still worth mentioning. Having taken a little bit of time to think about this matter, I am led to believe that Welker may not be back in a Patriots jersey next year....which is fine, with how the Free Agent pool is this year. What New England needs is a weapon on the outside who can take the top off the Defense. Someone like a Mike Wallace would be nice, but he is looking to command the type of deal that a Megatron or an Andre Johnson would command. This is WAY too much in my opinion. Now, Welker is a valuable tool on offense. He is reliable, and allows the Pats to consistently move the chains on Third Down. However, if he feels as though he deserves the type of money that a Larry Fitzgerald is making, then he's not worth that to me.
3) So will Talib: Still old news, and again I apologize for that. However, this could be a bigger loss to me than Welker. Talib allowed the Pats to move Devin McCourty to safety, which may be his more natural position. He also brought a swagger to the secondary, one that wasn't there before his arrival. This showed during the AFC Championship loss to Baltimore, as once Talib went out of the game, it completely changed the gameplan to one that was WAY more conservative. I would think that it would be a HUGE loss to lose Talib, and I would hope that he does not end up elsewhere.
I'll probably go into more details about Free Agency once it starts on Tuesday. I hope that the Pats make some very solid additions and retain some of the bigger names that are there. And yes, the Jets STILL SUCK.
-TheRealZBD
Monday, March 4, 2013
Are we drafting yet?
all of this was done without the recent players being released yet so keep this in mind while reading this,
these are essential guys that these NFC south teams need.
New Orleans Saints:
Ziggy Ansah, OL BYU - a pretty fast linemen. With the speed NO has, it would be a safe spot for him to land.
Dion Jordan OL Oregon - another fast linemen! coming from Oregon, its no doubt that this kid's athletic.
Eric Reid S Louisiana State University - A quick, tall safety. NFL ready to help a weakened secondary.
Zavaiar Gooden LB Missouri - Speed man. thats what NO really needs on defense.
Marquise Goodwin WR Texas - Yee Haw... why a wide out? cause NO needs another so brees can keep throwing the ball.
Carolina:
Barkevious Mingo DL Louisiana State - HOW DO YOU SAY HIS NAME?
Devin Taylor DL South Carolina - fast, and good technique, which you need to survive the SEC
Kyle Long OL Oregon - The other good OL from Oregon. already has a legacy with the long family in this league, but he's big, athletic, are NFL ready.
Josh Boyce WR Texas Christian - Lafell on one side, Steve Smith on another. all you need is a slot guy.
Atlanta: Wondering what Newsome might think?
Margus Hunt DL Southern Methodist - fast and strong guy, perfect for replacing Abraham.
Cornellius Carradine DL Florida State - NOT BIAS. he's a physical beast in 2012. fast and strong as well.
Shamarko Thomas S Syracuse - fast, hard hitting safety. ready for action!
Cornelius Washington LB Georgia - Has burst. Fast, and Atl could use more burst in the front 8.
Tampa Bay: (get ready for a long list)
Dee Miller CB Alabama - tall, and fast. and we need corners... like now... NOW
Desmond Trufant CB Washington - Tall and... well, same story as Dee.
Terron Armstead OL Arkansas-Pine Bluff - Athletic, needed to have a beast o=line.
Lane Johnson OL Oklahoma - Technique is on par
Tavon Austin WR West Virginia - he's got speed, he's got hands. we need another wide out!
Geno Smith QB West Virginia - I don't like freeman. makes way too many mistakes. Geno would be a fresh start.
Or
Ej Manuel QB Florida State - All he needs is good coaching. and to not pull a freeman....
-Alberto
these are essential guys that these NFC south teams need.
New Orleans Saints:
Ziggy Ansah, OL BYU - a pretty fast linemen. With the speed NO has, it would be a safe spot for him to land.
Dion Jordan OL Oregon - another fast linemen! coming from Oregon, its no doubt that this kid's athletic.
Eric Reid S Louisiana State University - A quick, tall safety. NFL ready to help a weakened secondary.
Zavaiar Gooden LB Missouri - Speed man. thats what NO really needs on defense.
Marquise Goodwin WR Texas - Yee Haw... why a wide out? cause NO needs another so brees can keep throwing the ball.
Carolina:
Barkevious Mingo DL Louisiana State - HOW DO YOU SAY HIS NAME?
Devin Taylor DL South Carolina - fast, and good technique, which you need to survive the SEC
Kyle Long OL Oregon - The other good OL from Oregon. already has a legacy with the long family in this league, but he's big, athletic, are NFL ready.
Josh Boyce WR Texas Christian - Lafell on one side, Steve Smith on another. all you need is a slot guy.
Atlanta: Wondering what Newsome might think?
Margus Hunt DL Southern Methodist - fast and strong guy, perfect for replacing Abraham.
Cornellius Carradine DL Florida State - NOT BIAS. he's a physical beast in 2012. fast and strong as well.
Shamarko Thomas S Syracuse - fast, hard hitting safety. ready for action!
Cornelius Washington LB Georgia - Has burst. Fast, and Atl could use more burst in the front 8.
Tampa Bay: (get ready for a long list)
Dee Miller CB Alabama - tall, and fast. and we need corners... like now... NOW
Desmond Trufant CB Washington - Tall and... well, same story as Dee.
Terron Armstead OL Arkansas-Pine Bluff - Athletic, needed to have a beast o=line.
Lane Johnson OL Oklahoma - Technique is on par
Tavon Austin WR West Virginia - he's got speed, he's got hands. we need another wide out!
Geno Smith QB West Virginia - I don't like freeman. makes way too many mistakes. Geno would be a fresh start.
Or
Ej Manuel QB Florida State - All he needs is good coaching. and to not pull a freeman....
-Alberto
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Midweek Update (aka why the lack of posts)
First, I want to apologize for the lack of posts the past few days. Between work and other important issues, I have not had much free time to post anything about he defensive players at the combine. That will likely change either tonight or tomorrow; although it will be one post, it should be fairly lengthy.
There's been a lot of news that has come out this week in regards to various other offseason news. Between restructurings and other info, it is a busy time. Not to mention that Free Agency is going to start in just under 2 weeks. Between Alberto and myself, we are going to try to keep up on it as much as we can, but we may miss some things.
As for what's coming this week, expect the Defensive positional review either tonight or tomorrow. I'm also going to try to get my opinions together on the news of the week, which should make its appearance this weekend. Finally, Alberto and I are going to try to put together a sort of mock draft for this weekend or for early next week. Look forward to more content in the near future.
-TheRealZBD
There's been a lot of news that has come out this week in regards to various other offseason news. Between restructurings and other info, it is a busy time. Not to mention that Free Agency is going to start in just under 2 weeks. Between Alberto and myself, we are going to try to keep up on it as much as we can, but we may miss some things.
As for what's coming this week, expect the Defensive positional review either tonight or tomorrow. I'm also going to try to get my opinions together on the news of the week, which should make its appearance this weekend. Finally, Alberto and I are going to try to put together a sort of mock draft for this weekend or for early next week. Look forward to more content in the near future.
-TheRealZBD
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Blink and you'll miss it: My thoughts on day 2 of on-field workouts at the NFL scouting combine
It's day 2 of on-field stuff, and again I'm watching through the NFL network. Today's drills are important from a Patriots fan's perspective, as WR could be a huge need. Relax though; while the 40s of WRs and their catching abilities are important, they will not be all I"m going to write about today. With no further ado, let's get started.
1) Damn, they're fast...: With a WR, speed is important when running the deeper routes, whether it be the go route (aka the 9 route), the post, or the corner (aka the 7 route). While it may not be everything, speed is a factor. And this year's group of receivers have it in spades. The two guys that stood out especially went early on today, in Tavon Austin (who I'll focus more on later) and Marquise Goodwin, both of which ran a 4.25 UNOFFICIAL 40. And again, while there may not be as much emphasis on the speed of a WR in the NE offense (the team more emphasizes quickness and route running), guys with that type of speed are of great importance in ANY offense.
2) ...but they'd better catch it: Of course, a receiver's hands are EXTREMELY important. It's one thing to be a speed guy, but if you can't catch the ball or run precise routes, a WR is missing 2/3 of the equation. From the looks of things, the WRs in group 4 were running the routes so sharply that it didn't look natural, but they did seem to do a really good job with catching the ball. And again, it was said yesterday, but the combine is only a part of the puzzle. The Game tape can really help to show you the route running abilities, although from the looks of it, one of the speed guys (Goodwin) could use a bit more work on knowing where to look for the ball.
3) The QBs need work: All the draft experts are of the opinion that this year's class of QBs is not even remotely close to last year's level. From what was seen today, I don't think that their minds were changed. Mayock and Kurt Warner were mentioning multiple times that the QBs were throwing late or behind, trying too hard to hit the receiver instead of leading the receivers. This is a problem: it's been shown multiple times in the NFL that if you're late or behind, it could easily be a pick or a concussion for the WR. I also agree with how Mayock said that there are some consistency issues with some of the bigger prospects, which is a bit of a worry. Gotta wonder about some of the decision making under pressure.
4) Quicker than Fast: It's a saying that was heard a pretty decent amount today from Mike Mayock, and it proved to be true with most of the RBs. There were some outliers (Knile Davis and his 4.30 unofficial 40, for one), but for the most part, you saw more quickness with RBs than there was pure top speed. This is not a bad thing; most runs aren't of the 80-yard variety, but it does help to have good long speed.
All in all, there were quite a few good performances today. Among the WRs, I saw about 4 or 5 that I liked more than others, none of which were your typical Height-Weight-Speed guys. I'll prob. reveal those later on, after the combine. Like mentioned, you should see a post from Alberto after the Combine. And of course, the Jets are the court Jesters.
-TheRealZBD
1) Damn, they're fast...: With a WR, speed is important when running the deeper routes, whether it be the go route (aka the 9 route), the post, or the corner (aka the 7 route). While it may not be everything, speed is a factor. And this year's group of receivers have it in spades. The two guys that stood out especially went early on today, in Tavon Austin (who I'll focus more on later) and Marquise Goodwin, both of which ran a 4.25 UNOFFICIAL 40. And again, while there may not be as much emphasis on the speed of a WR in the NE offense (the team more emphasizes quickness and route running), guys with that type of speed are of great importance in ANY offense.
2) ...but they'd better catch it: Of course, a receiver's hands are EXTREMELY important. It's one thing to be a speed guy, but if you can't catch the ball or run precise routes, a WR is missing 2/3 of the equation. From the looks of things, the WRs in group 4 were running the routes so sharply that it didn't look natural, but they did seem to do a really good job with catching the ball. And again, it was said yesterday, but the combine is only a part of the puzzle. The Game tape can really help to show you the route running abilities, although from the looks of it, one of the speed guys (Goodwin) could use a bit more work on knowing where to look for the ball.
3) The QBs need work: All the draft experts are of the opinion that this year's class of QBs is not even remotely close to last year's level. From what was seen today, I don't think that their minds were changed. Mayock and Kurt Warner were mentioning multiple times that the QBs were throwing late or behind, trying too hard to hit the receiver instead of leading the receivers. This is a problem: it's been shown multiple times in the NFL that if you're late or behind, it could easily be a pick or a concussion for the WR. I also agree with how Mayock said that there are some consistency issues with some of the bigger prospects, which is a bit of a worry. Gotta wonder about some of the decision making under pressure.
4) Quicker than Fast: It's a saying that was heard a pretty decent amount today from Mike Mayock, and it proved to be true with most of the RBs. There were some outliers (Knile Davis and his 4.30 unofficial 40, for one), but for the most part, you saw more quickness with RBs than there was pure top speed. This is not a bad thing; most runs aren't of the 80-yard variety, but it does help to have good long speed.
All in all, there were quite a few good performances today. Among the WRs, I saw about 4 or 5 that I liked more than others, none of which were your typical Height-Weight-Speed guys. I'll prob. reveal those later on, after the combine. Like mentioned, you should see a post from Alberto after the Combine. And of course, the Jets are the court Jesters.
-TheRealZBD
Saturday, February 23, 2013
The Scouting Combine: My Thoughts on Day 1 of on-field workouts
Each year at about this time, all 32 NFL teams gather in Indianapolis. Their objective is simple: To poke, prod, test, and gather information on the incoming wave of NFL talent. While time will tell which players from a class will become stars, the Scouting Combine is just a part of the process that eventually leads to the NFL Draft. And while there's no real big need for either of the 2 position groups that went today for New England, here are some of my observations from what I saw through the NFL network's Day 1 coverage of On-field workouts, highlighting the OL and TEs.
1) Yeah, they get faster: While watching the OL today, Mike Mayock stated that each year, players get bigger, faster, and stronger. It's an obvious statement, but a true one. For example, who would have ever thought that an OL would run a sub 4.75 second fourty, even unofficially? It happened in today's workouts (Terron Armstead and his 4.65 unofficial 40, 4.71 official), and there were others that were fairly quick, at least to me. Although speed isn't the most important thing with OL (see Chance Warmack, who ran a 5.55 and 5.53 unofficial 40), it can help with showing how quickly an OL can get down field. In my eyes, the 10-yard split time is more important to an OL.
2) Footwork is EVERYTHING: I like listening to Mayock talk about footwork when it comes to OL. It's a very important factor, due to how the OL is operating in a phone booth. From what we saw during the kick-slide drills, you can sort of tell who has issues with footwork and who doesn't. Again, an obvious statement, but it's much more important for the Tackles to be quick on their feet than it is for a Guard, who can be much more of a mauler. Footwork is important for all OL though.
3) TEs and Hops: Being a Pats fan, I am a really big fan of how Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are able to elevate in the Red Zone and go win a jump ball. And while watching the 3 best TEs according to Mayock (Tyler Eifert, Zach Ertz, Gavin Escobar) while they were at the Vertical Jump, they all seemed to have a decent amount of hops. Will be interesting to see how they all compare to each other at the end of the day.
4) Catch the damn ball: Of course, if one's a TE, one has to be able to catch the ball, as well as block. And from what I've seen of this year's crop of TEs, there's a pretty good number of them that are able to run solid routes, along with having good hands. Some of the ones that I thought were among the best from today were the big 3 (Eifert, Ertz, Escobar), along with Dion Sims, Jake Stoneburner, and Jordan Reed.
5) Run, Rich, Run: Of course, there were the average folks running 40s. Should be fun to see how Rich Eisen runs on Tuesday.
It will be a fun Sunday set, with the WRs, RBs, and QBs hitting the field. With WR being a potential area of need for New England, I'll more than likely be watching that area closer than some other areas, but I'm looking forwards to it. Alberto should have another post later on today or this weekend about his views on the combine. And yes, the Jets STILL S-U-C-K.
-TheRealZBD
1) Yeah, they get faster: While watching the OL today, Mike Mayock stated that each year, players get bigger, faster, and stronger. It's an obvious statement, but a true one. For example, who would have ever thought that an OL would run a sub 4.75 second fourty, even unofficially? It happened in today's workouts (Terron Armstead and his 4.65 unofficial 40, 4.71 official), and there were others that were fairly quick, at least to me. Although speed isn't the most important thing with OL (see Chance Warmack, who ran a 5.55 and 5.53 unofficial 40), it can help with showing how quickly an OL can get down field. In my eyes, the 10-yard split time is more important to an OL.
2) Footwork is EVERYTHING: I like listening to Mayock talk about footwork when it comes to OL. It's a very important factor, due to how the OL is operating in a phone booth. From what we saw during the kick-slide drills, you can sort of tell who has issues with footwork and who doesn't. Again, an obvious statement, but it's much more important for the Tackles to be quick on their feet than it is for a Guard, who can be much more of a mauler. Footwork is important for all OL though.
3) TEs and Hops: Being a Pats fan, I am a really big fan of how Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are able to elevate in the Red Zone and go win a jump ball. And while watching the 3 best TEs according to Mayock (Tyler Eifert, Zach Ertz, Gavin Escobar) while they were at the Vertical Jump, they all seemed to have a decent amount of hops. Will be interesting to see how they all compare to each other at the end of the day.
4) Catch the damn ball: Of course, if one's a TE, one has to be able to catch the ball, as well as block. And from what I've seen of this year's crop of TEs, there's a pretty good number of them that are able to run solid routes, along with having good hands. Some of the ones that I thought were among the best from today were the big 3 (Eifert, Ertz, Escobar), along with Dion Sims, Jake Stoneburner, and Jordan Reed.
5) Run, Rich, Run: Of course, there were the average folks running 40s. Should be fun to see how Rich Eisen runs on Tuesday.
It will be a fun Sunday set, with the WRs, RBs, and QBs hitting the field. With WR being a potential area of need for New England, I'll more than likely be watching that area closer than some other areas, but I'm looking forwards to it. Alberto should have another post later on today or this weekend about his views on the combine. And yes, the Jets STILL S-U-C-K.
-TheRealZBD
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
"They're at midfield"
Ah, Football. Nothing like the Fall Saturdays and Sundays where not much else matters. Each year, for 17 Sundays and multiple Saturdays, thousands of fans crowd stadiums across the country, with millions more watching on TV. And oh, do we love every last second of it.
That brings me to the purpose of this blog. This blog was made to allow us to state our views on various matters relating to football. Whether it be this past season's Super Bowl between Baltimore and San Francisco, or the Scouting Combine which takes place this weekend. Or even if it's fall camp at College up to the BCS (thank god that ends this year). We'll be talking about it all. You'll be getting perspective from a pair of NFC South fans whose teams seem to despise each other and from an AFC East fan who sees the hourglass ticking on his team's run. And all along the way, we hope that you'll see the same sort of humor that we seem to have when we have discussions about the game itself.
While we are new, we hope that you'll find our views interesting. I hope that you enjoy reading the blog, and the other writers will introduce themselves soon. Oh, and by the way, the Jets still S-U-C-K suck suck suck.
TheRealZBD
"He's at the 50! The 40! 30! 15! 5.... Touchdown Tampa Bay! Doug Martin!" or Vincent Jackson, or Mike Williams. I hear that every Sunday thanks to game blackouts.... but i get to hear the voice of both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Florida State Seminoles. Being a sports fan for so long, i wanted to delve into the science of sports and who and what could be good and such. this is sort of a test for me, so hopefully I can pass. well, at least i know i'll have fun! Oh, and by the way, the Jets still S-U-C-K suck suck suck.
Stay Awesome
-Alberto
That brings me to the purpose of this blog. This blog was made to allow us to state our views on various matters relating to football. Whether it be this past season's Super Bowl between Baltimore and San Francisco, or the Scouting Combine which takes place this weekend. Or even if it's fall camp at College up to the BCS (thank god that ends this year). We'll be talking about it all. You'll be getting perspective from a pair of NFC South fans whose teams seem to despise each other and from an AFC East fan who sees the hourglass ticking on his team's run. And all along the way, we hope that you'll see the same sort of humor that we seem to have when we have discussions about the game itself.
While we are new, we hope that you'll find our views interesting. I hope that you enjoy reading the blog, and the other writers will introduce themselves soon. Oh, and by the way, the Jets still S-U-C-K suck suck suck.
TheRealZBD
"He's at the 50! The 40! 30! 15! 5.... Touchdown Tampa Bay! Doug Martin!" or Vincent Jackson, or Mike Williams. I hear that every Sunday thanks to game blackouts.... but i get to hear the voice of both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Florida State Seminoles. Being a sports fan for so long, i wanted to delve into the science of sports and who and what could be good and such. this is sort of a test for me, so hopefully I can pass. well, at least i know i'll have fun! Oh, and by the way, the Jets still S-U-C-K suck suck suck.
Stay Awesome
-Alberto
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