Posts tagged 2012 RSP

The No-Huddle Series

0 Comments read Matt Waldman
Arian Foster would have been in my No-Huddle Series if I had a blog back them. Read more about the series below.

The No-Huddle will be a series of posts that feature just one play on a prospect that I think says something notable about him. The players in this series will mostly be (in my opinion) late-round prospects in this draft, at best. I may throw in some top prospects because I want to share something unusual about what I saw.

I’m hoping this will be a fun way to inform and cover players that aren’t in the headlines, but readers like you want to know something about.

Obviously, you can get a lot more on these players – including some who could see ascents similar to Ahmad Bradshaw, Arian Foster, Victor Cruz, or Tony Romo – if you download the 2012 Rookie Scouting Portfolio.

You know I had to get that in.

Rankings Insight for This Year’s WR Class

0 Comments read Players, Wide Receiver
Marvin Jones can tell a story that keeps cornerbacks guessing a big reason he’s my No.4 WR in the NY Times RSP Series. Photo by John Martinez Pavliga.

When it comes to this series, I usually just provide a teaser of the post to the Fifth Down and link you to the rest. But with today’s receivers,  No.5 WR Greg Childs and No. 4 WR Marvin Jones, I want to discuss the thought process behind their unusually high ranking – and a few general philosophical points with how I rank players. I believe additional perspective is a good thing in this case because many of you reading this post are fantasy owners in addition to football fans and draftniks. Continue reading →

Reads Listens Views 4/13/2012

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[youtube=http://youtu.be/OhlgY0timTA]

For Maximum Effect: Mute the sound on this Cliff Branch highlight and open a second window on your browser and check out my link to the Gap Band’s “You Dropped a Bomb On Me,” later in this post.

Thank you

The response to the publication of the 2012 Rookie Scouting Portfolio has been great. I appreciate the feedback from old and new readers alike. I’m already setting plans in motion to make 2013’s publication even better and I’m actually Continue reading →

The Best of the RSP Blog (Draft Reads) for 2011-2012

0 Comments read Matt Waldman

Sometime in May I plan to reorganize the site by draft year. Until then, this post contains a list of NFL Draft-worthy reads from this blog during the past 10-11 months I’ve been posting here. Before we get into that list, I want to take a moment to discuss one of the common questions I used to get over the years about my annual Rookie Scouting Portfolio: “What do I get from the RSP?”

One of the things that I haven’t mentioned in that list of things RSP readers get is what you’re reading right now: This blog. I created this blog for a number of reasons but more than anything, it is to give you an idea of the study and analysis that goes into the publication. I love Continue reading →

New York Times Fifth Down Series: No. 2 RB Doug Martin

0 Comments read Players, Running Back

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2.    Doug Martin, Boise State (5-9, 223)

Martin reminds me of Ray Rice in the respect that he’s not abundantly fast once he reaches the second or third level, but his initial burst is top notch. He consistently defeats the angles of defenders as he enters and exits a hole because they misjudge his quickness, which is excellent for a back of his dimensions. Combined with the fact that he’s a strong, downhill runner who isn’t afraid to create a hole by ramming up the backsides of his linemen, he seems to be the product of a mad football scientist who spliced Rice with Frank Gore’s build.

Martin does three things that a lot of N.F.L.-caliber runners can do:[Click here to read more]

Download the 2012 Rookie Scouting Portfolio for analysis of over 151 prospects at QB, RB, WR, and TE.

New York Times Fifth Down Series: No.3 RB Lamar Miller

0 Comments read Players, Running Back

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3.     Lamar Miller, running back, Miami (5-10, 212)

Lamar Miller is a potential Pro Bowl back. He’s at the sweet spot in terms of height, weight, speed and acceleration. He runs with patience and balance, and he protects the ball. He understands how to stay close to his blocks until an opening develops, and like Clinton Portis and Edgerrin James before him, he knows how to shorten his steps in traffic until he finds a cutback lane or alternate crease when the primary hole does not open.

He runs with good balance and power between the tackles. He can run through contact, and he has good enough footwork to prevent defenders from getting angles on him. He bends runs with good speed, and he has shown some skill to [Click here for the rest]

Download the 2012 Rookie Scouting Portfolio for analysis of over 151 prospects at QB, RB, WR, and TE.

No. 4 RB David Wilson

0 Comments read Players, Running Back
David Wilson is my No.4 RB in the 2012 RSP. Here’s an excerpt of my ranking thoughts on Wilson in the New York Times Fifth Down Blog.

4. David Wilson, running back, Virginia Tech (5-9, 206)

Physically, Wilson might have as much upside as any back in this draft, and from this perspective, he might be the best back to come out of Virginia Tech. Ryan Williams was a conceptually smarter runner with great effort and a strong array of skills, but purely from an athletic perspective Wilson is to Williams what Trent Richardson is to Mark Ingram.

Wilson’s quickness, speed, balance and stop-start agility are among the best in the country, and it makes him a special athlete/runner in the open field. Get him in space and he’s a nightmare to bring down. When he’s disciplined about what he’s doing conceptually, he has the pad level, acceleration and technique to be productive as a between-the-tackles, chain-moving runner.

Wilson is a “strong” 205 pounds, and I think he can probably [Click here for more]

Also see my David Wilson Series:

Download the 2012 Rookie Scouting Portfolio for analysis of over 151 prospects at QB, RB, WR, and TE.

Contests: Win a Past Issue of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio

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Eric Dickerson holds the rookie rushing record with 390 attempts for 1808 yards. Name thee of the top five from the same college and win a past issue of the RSP. Photo by Master Sgt. Cohen A. Young

I’m in a giving mood today and I also have to think of a name for my Football Outsider’s Saturday Column (as well as write it), which will cover college players with NFL prospects – similar to what I do here. So today, I’m having a contest:

The three people to correctly answer this question will win a past issue (2006-2011) of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio.

In addition, I’ll give away a 2012 RSP if you can suggest a name for my new column that I like enough to use. I can’t guarantee I’ll hear one I like enough to use, but would appreciate the ideas.

There’s also a different contest going on my Facebook page. Like that page and answer that three-part question correctly and you could earn a chance to win.

The NFL’s top-five rookie years for rushing yardage includes three backs who came from the same college. Name the college and the three backs.

[contact-form subject=”The Rookie Scouting Portfolio Contests: Win a Past Issue of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio ” to=”mattwaldmanrsp@gmail.com”] [contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”true” /] [contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”true” /] [contact-field label=”Name the college the three RBs share.” type=”text” /] [contact-field label=”RB No.1″ type=”text” required=”true” /] [contact-field label=”RB No.2″ type=”text” /] [contact-field label=”RB No.3″ type=”text” /] [contact-field label=”Suggested Football Outsiders column title” type=”text” /] [/contact-form]

Cal WR Keenan Allen: Creating Separation With His Hands

0 Comments read Players, Wide Receiver
Keenan Allen might have DeSean Jackson’s fancy footwork in a 6’3, 205 lbs. frame, but he also flashes some quality hands in more ways than one. Photo by John Martinez Pavliga.

I’ll still be writing about 2012 NFL Draft prospects in the coming months, but with the 2012 Rookie Scouting Portfolio in the books – and available for download – I’m also beginning my work for next year’s draft. See below.

If you’ve been reading my blog for at least a couple of months then you know I have an appreciation for former Cal wide receiver Marvin Jones. As much as I enjoy his technical skill at the position, Jones’ contributions were sometimes overshadowed by the terrific athleticism of his teammate Keenan Allen. The rising junior is 6’3″, 205 lbs. of quick-twitch, X-box-inspired moves once the ball is in his hands. Continue reading →

QB Guru George Whitfield: “How I’d Build Tim Tebow”

0 Comments read Players, Quarterback, Reads Listens Views

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George Whitfield is quickly becoming known (by the media) as a QB guru. Here’s a cool segment breaking down Tim Tebow’s mechanics. Whitfield does not work with Tebow, but he believes Tebow can become “an effective…if not, great” NFL quarterback and he lays out how he’d help Tebow to achieve it.

If you’re looking for a chance to learn more about quarterbacking techniques – good and bad – this is an insightful watch.

I’ll be posting more analysis of players on this blog on Wednesday and next week I hope to begin breaking down players for 2013 – yes, 2013 😉

And as sincerely as I can convey this to you – thank you for reading this blog and thank you for being 2012 Rookie Scouting Portfolio readers. I have a loyal base or readers, which is one of the big ways I know I’m doing something right with this publication. If you’re considering the publication for the first time, these are some of the comments I get from readers every year.

I’m taking my wife out to dinner tonight – she deserves at least that for the support she provides for me to indulge in what can be an obsession.