Date Archives July 2012

Texas WR Marquise Goodwin: The Angles of Separation Part I

July 31, 2012 0 Comments read Players, Wide Receiver

Marquise Goodwin Aaron is Not Cool — If Texas receiver Marquise Goodwin learns how to consistently gain and maintain position like he does on this catch, he has a future as a vertical threat in the NFL. Learn more from Sterling Sharpe in the video below. Photo by Aaronisnotcool.

For more analysis of skill players like the post below, download the 2012 Rookie Scouting Portfolio. Better yet, if you’re a fantasy owner the 56-page Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 RSP at no additional charge. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. Here’s an update on my pledge.

There was a time that Texas receiver Marquise Goodwin thought about red shirting to prepare for the 2012 Olympics as a long jumper. Once he learned that NBC was covering the games, he decided competing for a Longhorns team that might slip below .500 in the Big 12 was more appealing. Truth be told, I haven’t watch the Summer Olympics at all so I can’t really take the smug stance of an arm-chair media critic.

However, I can critique Goodwin’s game. Most long jumpers have world class speed and Goodwin doesn’t disappoint here. However, as highlighted this spring with Stephen Hill’s game – Speed Kills, Now Learn How to Aim! – Goodwin has to refine what he does with his natural separation skills to become a dangerous NFL receiver. Here is the first of two posts Continue reading →

RSP Writers Project Q&A: Russ Lande of GM Jr. and The Sporting News

July 30, 2012 0 Comments read RSP Writers Project

Jacquizz Rodgers by McD22 — Looking for a player with Darren Sproles’ style? Former NFL Scout and draft analyst Russ Lande tabs Falcons RB Jacquizz Rodgers for this role on his ground-centric offensive attack. Photo by McD22.

Russ Lande is a former NFL scout with the Rams and Browns who produces the draft publication GM Jr. and provides content for The Sporting News, including its annual draft guide. Lande has also appeared on television, including The Big 10 Network and ESPN2. Here’s a Q&A I did with Lande in the New York Times Fifth Down a couple of years ago at the Senior Bowl.

Lande’s RSP Writers Team has a makeup of players that is largely unique from other squads Continue reading →

Coming of Age: Young Vets to Watch

July 30, 2012 0 Comments read Matt Waldman

Randall Cobb by Elvis Kennedy — Randall Cobb? I love this guy. I want to see the Packers use him like Percy Harvin and Wes Welker wrapped up in an electric package. Photo by Elvis Kennedy

Something I emphasize when it comes to fan expectations of young players transitioning from college to the NFL is to account for the Great Emotional Divide. College football is an insulated world where university athletic programs fill its players’ time with a full slate of activities so there is little idle time. Moreover, these programs often employ staff to monitor participation in each of these activities.

The NFL is not as tightly managed because the players are too old to be treated as anything less than men. Colleges and universities exist in that gray area where 95 percent of its students are still socially young men, or even boys, transitioning into manhood. College football programs can use this gray area to its advantage by protecting its investment with rules that minimize the potential for law-breaking behavior.

That’s a topic for another time. Another consequence of these “live your life by the numbers” schedules imposed on college football players is that they are not use to the freedom that comes when they leave NCAA programs and enter the real world. Despite the fact that football players make unreal money as professionals, the looser schedules and expectation for players to train and study on their own is as real as it gets.

These new freedoms combined with significantly tougher competition, more complex mental components of the game, and vastly higher expectations can lead to something that these young athletes aren’t use to doing on the football field that can hold them back: thinking. When an athlete starts thinking on the field of play he hesitates. When he hesitates, he’s a step slower. And when he’s a step slower, he’s behind. And when he’s behind, he makes mistakes or misses opportunities he should have exploited.

Remember this last paragraph as you spend this summer reading Continue reading →

RSP Writers Team: Russ Lande, GM Jr. – The Sporting News

July 29, 2012 0 Comments read RSP Writers Project

About Russ Lande

Matt hasselbeck — If you want to learn something right away about former NFL scout Russ Lande, note his preference for quarterbacks with great awareness and accuracy over pure arm talent and athleticism (I agree). Photo by Parker Anderson.

Russ Lande began his football career as a scout with an unpaid position as a part-time recruiting intern with the UCLA Bruins. The next year, Lande was a pro scouting intern with the Los Angeles Rams and then transitioned into the role of scouting administrator from 1994-1998. He learned from the likes of Jack Faulkner, Dick Vermeil, Mike White, Bud Carson, Charley Armey, and Nick Aliotti.

Lande founded GM Jr Scouting and published his first annual GM Jr’s Guide to the NFL Draft (“The Guide”), starting with the 1999 NFL Draft. He also worked in the XFL as an east coast scout and later earned a job with CBS Sports’ television show NFL Today as an editorial consultant. Soon after, the Cleveland Browns hired Lande as a Midwest Blesto Scout responsible for evaluating senior players at over 70 colleges and universities. Since 2007, Lande has been the draft expert for The Sporting News. His company, GM Jr. Scouting LLC supplies The Sporting News all NFL content for the NFL and NFL Draft, both online and in their annual Sporting News Pro Football Draft publication.

Lande’s RSP Writers Team was originally composed with a $140 million cap through a miscommunication that we had about the rules (which was my fault). When I gave him more time to redo his team with the extra $10 million, he made tweaks to his quarterback depth and added Matt Hasselbeck. I think this is important to note, because I believe Lande is confident enough in hi selections that the extra $10 million didn’t make a huge difference except at one position.

Because I regard Lande as an industry peer when it comes to studying prospects, I enjoyed discovering players we both like: Hasselbeck, Juron Criner, Donald Brown, Taylor Thompson, Glenn Dorsey, and Cordy Glenn. The fact that Criner reminds me of Cris Carter and Lande describes the rookie as having “the best Continue reading →

The FBI of Angles: UNC RB Giovani Bernard

July 28, 2012 0 Comments read Players, Running Back

Addai and Manning — Joseph Addai’s career is winding down unceremoniously, but he was a good pick for the Colts due to his pass protection skills. North Carolina running back Giovani Bernard flashes impressive skills in a phase of the game that is vital for NFL running backs. Photo by Brad J. Ward.

I have much affection for the game of former Colts and Canes running back Edgerrin James. He’s one of the few running backs I’ve seen enter the NFL as a good pass protector. It’s a skill that engendered similar love for the games of Joseph Addai and DeMarco Murray when I watched them on passing downs at LSU and Oklahoma.

If Bryce Brown had any experience with pass protection during his one season with the University of Tennessee, the Eagles might have needed to spend a pick somewhere between the third and fifth rounds to nab him. If Brown develops these skills as a rookie, the Eagles might have the best 1-2 punch at running back in the NFL by 2013. If he doesn’t, he may rarely see the field.

That’s how important pass protection is in today’s NFL. Especially in a league where the Colts and Eagles led the offensive trend of single back sets (11 and 10 personnel), which requires the running back to have more Continue reading →

Skill Players to Monitor in August: Reads Listens Views 7/27/2012

July 27, 2012 0 Comments read Reads Listens Views

The Template for Modern Quarterbacking

[youtube=http://youtu.be/a2Ed1CdH6SA]
Four Skill Players to Monitor In August

Criner Trust Me — Arizona WR Juron Criner is a “Trust Me” player. See below (trust me).

One of the things we discuss regularly on the Thursday night Audible podcast is the importance of following the reports that the media files on players. These stories provide a brick-by-brick foundation about these players. Although these reports aren’t infallible, learning to filter truth from perception can have value. Below are players I’m monitoring this off season. Continue reading →

RSP Writers Q&A: Sam Monson, Pro Football Focus

July 25, 2012 0 Comments read RSP Writers Project

4207765870_a7b65437d4_b — When you can turn “Gronk” and Gates (twice) into “Gunk,” you can have strong safety Tyvon Branch’s swagger. Sam Monson explains why Branch is the only hybrid stopper in the NFL. Photo by Jeffery Beall.

I was raised on cornerbacks Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield playing bump and run in Cleveland. It was a big reason why I wanted Darrelle Revis and added some young, promising corners with man coverage skill to my squad. I have a brother-in-arms in that department with Sam Monson. The Pro Football Focus writer unveiled his RSP Writers team yesterday and if you appreciate the skill of man coverage, you’re going to love what he did.

I probably asked Monson more follow up questions than any writer thus far, including a mini-discussion about studying the game from a statistical perspective versus one of technique. I couldn’t agree with his answer more. We lead off with that question, using Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate as the starting point for this stats vs. technique discussion. Continue reading →

RSP Writers Team: Sam Monson, Pro Football Focus

July 24, 2012 0 Comments read RSP Writers Project

Drew Brees photo by eschipul — About damn time Drew Brees is on a writers team, don’t you think? Sam Monson builds a team that a defensive back would like: a passing game he only has to face in practice and a defensive unit geared to defend an aerial assault. Photo by eschipul.

Sam Monson is an analyst at Pro Football Focus. He’s a sales and marketing director in Dublin, Ireland. Apparently, Monson is also a ball-hawking defensive back for his local football league (see his Twitter profile). Jene Bramel was sent across the pond to scout him. His report is forthcoming.

In the spirit of Monson’s football position, the PFF writer built a RSP team that I believe places heavy emphasis on taking away the pass as well as testing good passing defenses. He has a strong 1-2 punch at receiver, a promising all-around tight end, and throwing the ball to them is none other than Drew Brees, who makes his first appearance on a RSP Writers Project Team.

Just from the initial scan of Monson’s roster, he has built a unit with defensive backs capable of sticking to receivers like flypaper and relentless edge rushers along the defensive line. While I’m not a fan of some of his depth, it’s easy to nitpick any of these teams in that department. What I do know is that Monson’s team will be competitive as long as it stays healthy and when I say competitive, I mean compiling stats in the left-hand column labeled “W.” Continue reading →

RSP Writer’s Q&A: Matt Miller, Bleacher Report

July 22, 2012 0 Comments read RSP Writers Project

Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans — Matt Miller’s offense might be young and unproven in many respects, but Arian Foster and the offensive line should provide stability through any growing pains. Photo by AJ Guel.

Bleacher Report’s NFL Draft Lead Writer, Matt Miller is the founder of the NFL draft site New Era Scouting. Matt’s work has been featured in Madden 13, on ESPN radio, SiriusXM, NFL.com, SI.com, and USA Today. NFL, CFL and AFL teams have utilized his services. Matt was the secondary and special teams coordinator for the three-time league champion Joplin Crusaders of the Central Football League.

Miller went big and bad on defense and young and unproven on offense. I know that the edges of my offensive line will be severely tested if facing Miller’s team. In fact, if my team were fortunate enough to come away with a victory, even a 14-6 win might feel like a three-point loss.

However, it’s not fair at all to characterize Miller’s offense as one that can only score six points. There’s some quality talent on this offense that could grow up fast. If they all transition at the same fast rate, this squad could have the positives of the Houston Texans offense and San Francisco 49ers defense. Continue reading →

RSP Writers Project: Matt Miller’s Roster – Bleacher Report

July 21, 2012 0 Comments read RSP Writers Project

6012775697_4ab552a841_b — Matt Miller’s cornerstone at left tackle will be Nate Solder, a player capable of guarding his most prized investment – Andrew Luck. Photo by Beth Hart.

Miller presents his roster with the unwavering belief that he selected personnel that will be the makings of a great football team – not to mention the bravado to believe he got tremendous value with players at the higher end of this exercise’s pay scale. Readers may see it as spin typical of NFL owners and GMs heading into training camp, but what I like is Miller’s steadfast belief in players that may not have lived up to initial expectations. It’s an indication that Miller stands by his work as an evaluator. Continue reading →