In-depth film analysis of NFL Draft Prospects With a Fantasy Football Lens - by Matt Waldman ©2025
Whether it was in a stadium, the park, the street, or your friend’s back yard, I know you’ve been in a situation where you knew you could take the man assigned to you. All you had to do was convince your quarterback. The fewer the words, the better.
“Trust me.”
LaMichael James is a short, quicksilver running back in an offense that plays at a break-neck tempo. There’s little doubt that he can have an impact as a kick return specialist and a third-down back in the NFL. And if the Broncos don’t land Peyton Manning and continue with some form of spread option offense, James could be a nice fit as an integral part of Denver’s backfield as my Footballguys.com colleague Cecil Lammey suggests.
However, let’s presume that “the future” is not “now” when it comes to offensive concepts and James must work in a traditional, pro-style offense. Does he have what it takes to perform as a between the tackles runner in the NFL? Can he carry the load like Warrick Dunn did for a couple of years with the Atlanta Falcons? I’m looking at a few plays that provide some indication of what James can – and can’t – do.
Yesterday, I examined James in a short-yardage situation. Today, I’m looking at a play that requires an ability to carry the football in tight quarters. This is an aspect of James’ game where I think he shines. Continue reading
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If there’s an alternate universe, I’m a running back in it. There isn’t a week that goes by that I walk along the field that held the first football game at the University of Georgia and daydream of ripping off a run like Garrison Hearst’s 96-yard touchdown versus the Jets. I just don’t act it out (although the urge is there). It’s probably why most of my analysis this month has been quarterbacks, receivers, and tight ends. I want to save the best stuff for last – the way your son or daughter might save a favorite dessert.
One of the running backs of the past 20 years whose game I had grown to admire was Warrick Dunn. He was listed at 5’8″, 187 pounds, but I bet 5’6″, 178 is closer to the truth. Even if his listed weight is correct, I like the tall tale version more – it befits a back of his size who carried the load for Alex Gibbs’ zone blocking scheme for the Falcons.
Since Dunn, Continue reading
If you haven’t heard, the 2012 RSP is now available for pre-order. Now in its seventh year, I publish the Rookie Scouting Portfolio every April 1. I have evaluated 161 players at the offensive skill positions thus far. The publication essentially has three parts:
1. Rankings, analysis, and player comparisons: This is generally 120-130 pages of material, much like a draft magazine, but focused solely on QBs, RBs, WRs, and TEs.
2. Appendix of my game-study notebooks: All my raw notes from my database and I also supply a complete grading checklist for each player and game I study. This also includes my scoring process. And last but not least, I also provide play by play notes on each player that is often pages of analysis for each prospect. This blog analysis of players you’ve seen this month draws from these notes.
3. Defined criteria for my scoring methods: How I define a technique and the value I give it.
You can also order back issues of the RSP (2006-2011) from this same link. This year, I’m donating 10 percent of all 2012 sales to Darkness to Light. Its mission:
Our programs raise awareness of the prevalence and consequences of child sexual abuse by educating adults about the steps they can take to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to the reality of child sexual abuse.
You can learn more about this excellent organization and its noble aim through the link above. In the spirit of transparency, I will provide an annual update and documentation of the monies donated to Darkness to Light on this blog.
Once again, you can pre-order the 2012 RSP or immediately purchase and download past RSPs through this link.
What do you call 9/22, 156 yards, TD, INT in a half of football? If the execution behind the stats isn’t studied then I call it meaningless. These stats belong to Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill’s performance in a blowout loss to Oklahoma in 2011. After studying his performance in this game and others, my conclusion is that Tannehill exhibits starter potential for the NFL.
Oftentimes the worst statistical games reveal strong positives in a player’s skill and potential. I’d rather see how a player deals with adversity than study games where he only has success. There are more situations that test a player’s skill to its limit and the absence of good stats doesn’t mean an absence of skills to watch. It’s why I had strong marks for players like Ahmad Bradshaw, Joseph Addai, Matt Forte, and several other prospects whose opponents over-matched their teams. If you’re watching technique, effort, and physical skill then stats fade into the background.
I’ve written about Tannehill here recently and with the Redskins’ exchange of three first-round picks for the second spot in the NFL Draft, there is a lot of debate among draftniks about Tannehill’s value as a top-10 overall pick. I’ve read one former scout write on Twitter that he’s the most likely player to get a GM fired. I read another say he’s overrated. On the other hand, Tannehill’s former coach Mike Sherman compares his A&M starter favorably to Bengals QB Andy Dalton – with a better arm. Continue reading
Chad Spann is a reserve running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers after stops with the Colts and Buccaneers. I have interviewed Spann multiple times since this time last year. The former NIU walk-on who began his career ninth on the depth chart and ended it as the 2010 NCAA touchdown leader is a confident but grounded player who learned early that everything he’s going to get as a football player will be earned with hard work and persistence.
It won’t be a surprise to most fans if Pittsburgh drafts a running back in the mid-to-late rounds as a hedge for Rashard Mendenhall’s recovery from a knee injury. Even so, Spann is still the only healthy running back on the roster with change of pace, third-down skills. There’s a strong likelihood that Spann’s name becomes more common on the lips of beat writers this summer.
Q: I read your DLF interview and I’d like to build on it. You talked about the Steelers organization with me in the past. Now that the season is over and you’ve had time to reflect, tell me specifically what you like about being in Pittsburgh.
A: Man, it was really just a culture shock going in there after being in Tampa and Indianapolis. It was completely different. The environment. The coaches. The players. The very first day I was there Coach Tomlin Continue reading
Jim Urbano is a former college quarterback who I compete with in a fantasy league. He was kind enough to allow me to share his point of view that he also shared with the Footballguys Shark Pool forums when reading my take on a play I analyzed of RGIII’s versus Oklahoma State. I think Jim underscores some good points about the spread formation and the inherent difficulty of evaluating quarterbacks operating from it.
Jim’s Take:
I haven’t watched a great deal of OSU football recently but I’d be inclined to believe that them staying in this man coverage in the face of the trips formation was rare. I say that because it simply is for almost any college team I’ve ever seen. There may have been a pre-snap indication that the blitz was coming and that OSU would roll the dice with man coverage but we can’t put this play into context with out knowing the full season and schematic tendencies of OSU heading into this game. Continue reading
Chad Spann is a reserve running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers after stops with the Colts and Buccaneers. I have interviewed Spann multiple times since this time last year. The former NIU walk-on who began his career ninth on the depth chart and ended it as the 2010 NCAA touchdown leader is a confident but grounded player who learned early that everything he’s going to get as a football player will be earned with hard work and persistence.
It won’t be a surprise to most fans if Pittsburgh drafts a running back in the mid-to-late rounds as a hedge for Rashard Mendenhall’s recovery from a knee injury. Even so, Spann is still the only healthy running back on the roster with change of pace, third-down skills. There’s a strong likelihood that Spann’s name becomes more common on the lips of beat writers this summer.
More stories about Spann at the RSP blog:
Bottom line, I liked Spann’s game before I had a chance to speak with him. However, I have no problem admitting Continue reading
John Wooden on true success
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Ahead at the RSP Blog
The 2012 Rookie Scouting Portfolio will be available on April 1 via a link to my shopping cart site. Learn more about the RSP process and content here.
Pre-order the 2012 RSP and buy past RSPs (2006-2011) here.
Steelers RB Chad Spann and I had a conversation a couple of weeks ago (preview below) and he has agreed to spend time studying a game of Ray Rice’s with me. Expect transcripts of that session in mid-April or early May.
The RSP Writers Project is still on, but I decided to push back the process of picking players until May since most of us doing the work are busy covering the draft. Expect an unveiling of teams in July and August.
Preview of Next Week’s Q&A Sessions with Chad Spann
Q: You talked with me in the past about what your Steelers teammates shared about your game and the advice they gave this year. One of those things was when Will Allen told you about maintaining your drive phase longer. For my audience, can you explain what that means and why it helps a running back?
Spann: If you watch a sprinter run the 100 meters Continue reading
[Author’s Note: I tag this post and others like it as “scouting reports,” because readers seeking this type of information search the Internet with this terminology. This post and others like it are not scouting reports. It’s a few plays used as talking points to discuss technique. For a complete assessment of a player for my annual RSP publication, I examine multiple games and every snap.]
Bill Walsh was a big proponent of studying a quarterback’s footwork and building on a prospect’s coordination to develop an accurate and efficient passer. Good footwork helps a passer generate good timing, accuracy, and velocity. There are some quarterbacks with great arm talent that have thrived despite poor footwork.
Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins will not be one of them. I have colleagues with NFL scouting experience that think highly of Cousins’ pro prospects. He has a quick release, experience in a pro-style offense, and he can make some difficult throws down field into coverage with accuracy. According to the Twitterverse, Cousins also looks and talks the part of an NFL quarterback.
But the feet tell the immediate story. And presently, Continue reading