Category Players

Texas WR Marquise Goodwin: The Angles of Separation Part I

0 Comments read Players, Wide Receiver
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 →

The FBI of Angles: UNC RB Giovani Bernard

0 Comments read Players, Running Back
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.

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.

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 →

Quick Bursts: RB Michael Dyer and the Context of Patience

0 Comments read 2015 NFL Draft, Players, Running Back
. Photo by Parker Anderson.

Do you judge a player’s decisions play-by-play or with a group of plays? There is no clear answer. Michael Dyer’s performance against Clemson is a good example

A common refrain that ESPN radio host and Footballguys writer Cecil Lammey used to describe former Texas A&M running back Cyrus Gray before the Chiefs drafted him was that he was ‘too patient.’ Can a running back be too patient?  I think the answer is yes, but it is a thorny judgment call. So is evaluating plays one by one rather than seeking an overall context.

Watching former Auburn running back Michael Dyer during a sequence of three, first-quarter runs against Clemson in 2011 brought this to mind. Continue reading →

New York Times Fifth Down Series: No. 2 WR Justin Blackmon

0 Comments read Players, Wide Receiver

[youtube=http://youtu.be/voprccSVyz4]

2. Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma St. (6-0, 207) [Highlights above differ from article in NY Times.]

Blackmon plays a physical brand of football despite the fact that he is smaller and slower than he appears when featured in this wide-open Oklahoma State offense. The Cowboy offense gives Blackmon a lot of opportunities to approach defenders in space with the ball in his hands and heading downhill. While he will consistently be playing in tighter spaces at the N.F.L. level and he is not as explosive as other top prospects, Blackmon has the strength, hands and balance to become a reliable “plus” possession receiver (Anquan Boldin, Brandon Marshall) in the league.

Blackmon’s skill after the catch is what separates him from most prospects in this class. He is tough to bring down in the open field because he is a fluid runner with enough burst, strength and balance to run through hits and wraps. Blackmon’s strong hand-eye coordination and tendency to attack the ball from his breaks places him in an aggressive position to get the jump on defenders in open space.

If he develops better [Click here to read the rest]

Thoughts on Josh Gordon to Cleveland

0 Comments read Players, Wide Receiver
Hint: Hakeem Nicks earned average to below average marks at his pre-draft workouts. Those that relied on what they saw in games weren’t as disappointed. A lesson to consider when judging Josh Gordon. Photo by Romec1

As I mentioned last week, I’ll have more analysis on Gordon’s game within the next 7-10 days. But I have a little time to share some thoughts on the Browns drafting Gordon with a second-round pick and the general tenor of reactions I have seen regarding the former Baylor wide receiver.

“Not enough to see”

He might not have made good choices off the field, but don’t let anyone tell you there was not enough “tape” to evaluate Gordon. They simply couldn’t find enough to watch him or they don’t know how to watch in-depth with an entire season that was available. Gordon as a sophomore and Gordon in 2012 could be vastly different players due to time away from the game. However, Muhammad Ali Continue reading →

WR Josh Gordon: Hands are for more than catching the football

0 Comments read Players, Wide Receiver
Josh Gordon reminds me of Demaryius Thomas, but I believe Gordon has more physical upside and flashes more technical skill than Thomas at the same point of their careers. Photo by Jeffery Beall.

Warning: Although the video clips illustrating the analysis of this post are more than adequate to get the point across, they are amateurish, at best. Future analysis will likely be in still frames as I’ve used in the past.

Josh Gordon’s current skill and style of play reminds me of a mix between a raw Terrell Owens and Demaryius Thomas. However, his potential could be as limitless as Calvin Johnson. Gordon has a fascinating amalgamation of strengths and weaknesses for a wide receiver and this post will examine the strengths and weaknesses of the former Baylor wide receiver, who is the wildcard of the 2012 NFL Supplemental Draft.

This post will focus on Gordon’s speed, acceleration, and his knowledge and execution of separating from defenders as a receiver and ball carrier. The quick and dirty on Gordon’s skills in this area is that the former Baylor receiver has to speed to be a dangerous deep threat in the NFL, a big-play ball carrier in space, and the strength and quickness to put some toast under a cornerback’s jam and leave the defender standing by himself in the kitchen as his coach turns up the heat.

But Gordon’s sophomore performances against Kansas, Texas Tech, and Illinois are a wonderful illustration why size, speed, and strength are precious commodities, but at the NFL level these characteristics don’t have the same value if the player in possession of these athletic gifts doesn’t learn the craft of his position. If his off-field indiscretions are a thing of the past, I believe Gordon’s on-field performances demonstrate that he was learning the skills of his position and there is a good chance he’ll grow into a strong technician in the NFL.

One of the more important things Gordon will have to improve Continue reading →

Quick Breakdown on Supplmental RB Ed Wesley, TCU

0 Comments read Players, Running Back
TCU may miss RB Ed Wesley’s contributions to its three-man rotation, but he has a lot to learn before an NFL will feel the same way. Photo by Joe Duty.

I watched Ed Wesley this time last week, presuming he would be playing another year. A few days later, he applied for the NFL’s supplemental draft. Wesley was a rising senior at Texas Christian and in a committee situation with fellow runners Waymon James and Matthew Tucker. He’s a 5’9″, 200-pound runner with potential to develop into a better player at his position. In this final game versus Louisiana Tech, I saw more areas he needed to work on than areas where he shined.

As most of you following this blog know, all of my conclusions are based on play-by-play analysis. I may decide to give some play-by-play break down of Wesley before the draft, but in case I don’t here is a short summary of what I saw from the Horned Frogs runner. Continue reading →

Emerging Talents: Hybrid James Casey

0 Comments read Players, Tight End

[youtube=http://youtu.be/aQUijlFyVTQ]

“He’s going to play everywhere. He’s our starting fullback. He’s a starting (tight end) if we go to two tights. It’s still about versatility with James.”

– Gary Kubiak, head coach of the Houston Texans talking to Houston Chronicle reporter John McClain about James Casey in May 2012.

Based on what I’ve observed about James Casey, I’m willing to bet if he weren’t a professional football player he’s the type of guy that the Universe gives him a gift as it kicks him in the ass. If you’ve lived life, you know what I mean. If you don’t, imagine driving an 12 year-old beater that you’ve been holding together with prayers and duct tape to hang onto that job or get your kid to school and it breaks down and needs $500 in repairs just you won the $520 on a scratch-and-win lottery ticket the night before.

Casey the football player is ahead of his time, Continue reading →

Emerging Talents: NE RB Shane Vereen

0 Comments read Players, Running Back
Photo by John Martinez Pavliga.
Photo by John Martinez Pavliga.

This week the news broke in Patriots camp that second-year runner Shane Vereen was working in OTAs as the No.1 runner on the depth chart. Stevan Ridley was the projected lead back after the rookie from LSU had the better season in 2011. Of course, it’s easy to have the more impressive performance when the competition for that role missed much of training camp and the season dealing with a leg injury.

I wrote in 2011’s Rookie Scouting Portfolio that Shane Vereen has enough physical skill and talent to have a better career than former Cal teammate Jahvid Best. That might seem like an easy task considering that Best has incurred multiple concussions and his long-term career seems more questionable than when he entered the league a top-flight rookie prospect with skills and stylistic similarities that I think is a nice a blend of Marshall Faulk, Reggie Bush and Walter Payton.

Those a big names and I don’t expect Hall of Fame level production. However, I do expect big plays. Today I’m going to show you what I like about Shane Vereen and if he stays healthy, why he’ll have a significant impact for the Patriots in 2012. The links below will take you to the specific points of the highlight package I’m referencing throughout the article. Continue reading →

Learning to “Drive” with Oklahoma QB Landry Jones

0 Comments read Players, Quarterback
Okahoma QB Landry Jones drives the Sooner Schooner pretty darned well, but to become a professional he has to develop a subtler understanding of his vehicle. Photo by elevenamx.

Spring is here, flowers are in bloom, and now’s the time to look at next year’s NFL Draft prospects. A player I didn’t see much of the past two years, but I intend to watch a great deal in 2012 is Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones.

Jones considered leaving school a year early to enter the 2012 NFL Draft, but wisely chose to stay for one more. Not that I have a definitive list of reasons why Jones made the right choice, but one of the things I would like to see him improve upon is his decision-making. This is true for most college quarterbacks heading to the NFL, but I think Jones could use another year to master the speed of the college game before he tackles the challenge of the pros.

Jones has the fundamental tools to develop into a good pocket passer in the NFL. However, like Tom Brady, he’s not going to wow anyone with his athleticism. This means his skill at finding the open man, manipulating the defense, and delivering the ball with uncanny accuracy will need to be top notch for Jones to maximize his potential. Continue reading →