Posts tagged 2014 Senior Bowl

Jene Bramel’s Reese’s Senior Bowl Defensive Practice Notes Day 3

January 22, 2014 0 Comments read Reads Listens Views

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Yesterday, I called the Tuesday sessions at the Senior Bowl Momentum Day, as players try to build on their strong performances from Monday’s opening practice. On the way to Ladd-Peebles this morning, Cecil Lammey said that Wednesday should be called Confirmation Day. I think that captures the theme of the week perfectly. Though there were fewer scouts present at today’s chilly practice sessions, players are striving to show that they aren’t one-session wonders against better competition.

In true Confirmation Day fashion, players like Aaron Donald and Chris Borland added one positive practice rep after another to their Senior Bowl portfolios.

But it was Dee Ford who put an authoritative – and hilarious – cap on Confirmation Day.

Here in Mobile, players practice in full pads but aren’t tackled to the ground. Coaches want plays completed to ensure players are prepared for the game on Sunday and to allow scouts and coaches to see a play to its completion. Defenders are asked to tap the quarterback or ball carrier when they get there rather than take them to the ground and risk injury or end a play too soon.

That didn’t happen on the final play of the session. Ford and Kyle Van Noy, who’s been similarly dominant in pass rush all week, met at the quarterback and dumped him on the cold turf. On his way around the edge, Ford let out a “Wheeeeeeeeee!” that echoed throughout the stadium, preemptively dropping the mic on a stellar week of practice. That prompted Matt and I to debate other ways in which Ford might announce his presence as he approached the pocket.

Our top three suggestions for Ford:

Stick with the “Wheeeeeeee!” theme, which reminded us of Slim Pickens dropping the atomic bomb at the end of Dr. Strangelove.
Calmly and quietly hum The Godfather Theme (City Slickers II Style) from his three-point stance.
Whistle a few bars of The Farmer in the Dell and have his linemates yell, “Omar comin’!”

But there’s another reason Confirmation Day resonates with me. We are still many weeks from the draft and the evaluation of these players will be an ongoing process. Each of the players here in Mobile will get multiple looks between now and May, as we seek to confirm that what they showed against higher competition matches what they were able to do during game action.

As always, there is a long list of Senior Bowl prospects I’d like to revisit with a more critical eye.

DT Ra’Shede Hageman – Expected him to push interior line around much of the week. Wasn’t as consistent as I’d hoped and had difficulty getting back to the passer after initial penetration. I want to see how well he squeezes the pocket outside of Senior Bowl tackling rules.

DT Will Sutton – Sutton was Jekyll and Hyde this week. When successful, he was quick and powerful in pass rush drills and against the run in team drills. But he was on the ground too often. So was Sylvester Williams last year, however. Word is that he was asked to put on 25 pounds last offseason and never adapted. His 2012 tape may be most informative.

DT Deandre Coleman – Man mountains Dan McCullers and Hageman drew more attention, but Coleman had similar size. I didn’t look at Coleman’s college game tape before arriving in Mobile. He’s high on my list to watch in the coming weeks.

DE Chris Smith – Smith could’ve been overshadowed by Ford’s eye-popping reps, but wasn’t. I thought he looked slimmer on film, but his lower body was stacked here. I want to take another look at how he shed offensive tackles after being engaged.

DE Trent Murphy – Lots of splash plays on tape, but was handled too easily by offensive tackles here. Didn’t see an elite first step and he tired too often at the end of his series of reps. I want to review his technique on those splash plays.

DE Kareem Martin – May be biggest disappointment of this week for me. Measurables catch your eye, but was ridden out of running drills and team sessions like he was on skates and very rarely won in pass rush. I want to see if there’s any consistency in his game film.

ER (edge rusher) Dee Ford – There’s a lot to like about Ford in pass rush. While he wasn’t ineffective against the run here in Mobile – he was particularly explosive in backside pursuit – his size raises questions about whether he can stand up when teams run at him. That will be a focus of more film study for me.

ER Kyle Van Noy – Van Noy took most of his snaps at weak side linebacker this week, though the North coaches did bring him down for more one-on-one pass rush reps and put him on the line in Under alignments and allowed him to rush the passer in some team reps. He dominated in those situations, but often lagged behind in coverage and let up too often when engaged by offensive linemen on run plays. I want to see if he showed a more well-rounded game at BYU.

ER Marcus Smith – Smith’s best attribute is his pass rush, but he spent 90 percent of his reps with the linebacker group this week. He struggled in coverage and never found a rhythm in pass rush drills. I want to revisit his pass rush technique against his stiffest college competition.

ER Jerry Attaochu – A close second behind Martin as the player who fell most under my expectations here. I’m willing to give him a pass because he took few reps with the defensive end group, but he was dominated on every one-on-one rep with an offensive lineman and didn’t fare much better against backs and tight ends in pass protection drills.

LB Chris Borland – Did everything well in Mobile. Fluid and powerful in run support, dominated in pass rush drills with multiple moves, handled himself well in coverage and was responsible for at least three turnovers. Borland is one of a few players I watched extensively before coming to Mobile. Saw more snaps as a blitzer than in coverage; I’d like to focus on his coverage snaps and watch his stack and shed technique more closely.

LB Chris Kirksey – Josh Norris and others sang his praises before practice began. He flows to the ball well and is willing to physically engage blockers at the point of attack. I want to see how consistently he sheds and take another look at how well he drops and reacts in coverage.

LB Telvin Smith – Looked like a safety during weigh-in, but surprisingly showed a willingness to stack and shed when he had to here. Looked comfortable in coverage, but footwork was lacking at times. Another player I haven’t evaluated on tape at all who deserves a full evaluation.

LB Christian Jones – Jones didn’t do poorly in any drill, but there were technical issues (poor hand use, playing too high, inability to shed consistently) throughout. He didn’t seem to play full speed during the games I reviewed at full speed, but I’m hoping to see more on second look.

LB Jordan Tripp – Active and quick to react on running plays. But turned away when blocked and rarely disengaged. May not be much Montana tape to be found, but he wouldn’t be in Mobile if the coaches hadn’t asked Phil Savage to invite him. I’d like to see what they saw.

S Ahmad Dixon – Dixon grabbed receivers too often and let his technique lapse during one-on-one drills. One scout who interviewed him told me he might have trouble picking up complicated coverage schemes. I want to see how well he reacted to routes in front of him in college game action.

S Deone Bucannon – Had the look of an all-around safety during drills and team sessions. But reps were limited here due to the number of swing corner / safety prospects on the North roster. I need to take an extended look at his college tape.

S Jimmie Ward – Ward did his large cheering section proud this week, looking fluid and instinctive in coverage. At just 191 pounds, however, I’d like to re-examine how physical he was against the run at Northern Illinois.

S Terrance Brooks – Brooks impressed with his change of direction and closing speed today and he looks a little bigger than 197 pounds in pads. I want to see how he performed against the run during game action.

For more Senior Bowl Info also check out:

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Sr. Bowl WR Technique Roundtable

January 22, 2014 0 Comments read 2014 NFL Draft, Players, Wide Receiver

Norris' first skill player for Joe Flacco is a youngish, Boldin-ish receiver in Michael Crabtree. Photo by Football Schedule. — Among the seven players I interviewed Monday night at the Reese’s Senior Bowl, five of them mentioned Michael Crabtree as one of their two favorite players – including a running back. The most common answer why? “He’s smooth.” Find out how the five WRs below are trying to make their games smooth. Photo by Football Schedule.

Five Senior Bowl wide receivers talked with Matt Waldman and provided helpful tips behind the techniques of playing their position.

RSP: Cody, tell us about your development transitioning from high school to college.

Cody Hoffman: In high school, we didn’t even have a receiver’s coach. When I got to BYU I worked on route running and the technique of getting in and out of routes. I have always tried to have an emphasis of working on press coverage. It’s nice to be able to work on it out here with a receivers coach and against some good DBs.

RSP: Kevin, what is your technique focus in Mobile this week?

Kevin Norwood: Getting off press a little better and getting my footwork right. The Jaguars receiver coach is teaching me something I can use to get open more and to beat pressure more, which is to stand on the balls of my feet, which helps me be quick on my feet.

Shaq Evans: Playing on the balls of your feet is how you keep your base. If you’re on your heels you’re going to slip and fall. You’re also not going to get out of cuts very well. It’s why they always want us out with our heads over our toes and on the balls of our feet. When you do those things you can make really accelerate out of your cuts.

RSP: A lot of receivers at this stage of their development entering the NFL possess 1-2 refined moves to beat press with either their feet or with their hands, but they lack the skill to integrate the hands and the feet together or demonstrate variety.

Shaq Evans: It’s something that progresses over the years. Like you said, at first I was just using my feet or just trying to win using my hands. But these last two years I felt like I’ve put them both together, especially this year.

Robert Herron: You also have to mix it up. Like coming off slow and then use a sudden move to keep them guessing. But you always want to attack them. You don’t just want to do a move at the same way at the same spot because they can just sit there and then you have to change direction into the man [and you’re back at the same point you started]. You want to attack him and make him feel uncomfortable [about what you’re going to do next].

Ryan Grant: You want to have a bag of tricks and I try to use one of at least three types of releases coming off the line. If he’s outside, then I’m going to try to give him something outside to think about and if he’s inside I’m going to do something inside and if he’s heads-up, I’m going to take a step at him to freeze him.

RSP: Is there something that you see from a defensive back that tells you what techniques you should be using when you line up against them on a given play?

Evans: Yeah, definitely. If the corner is a guy that [doesn’t play as aggressive] I like to take the line of scrimmage back to him and quick-set him. If the guy plays really physical then I want to do something really quick with my hands first before he gets his hands on me. That way I can get past his hips. Once you get past a defender’s hips and it’s hard for him to recover. Watching how a corner plays in press coverage is one of the main things I watch on film.

RSP: What are some things that you’re working on past the stage of the initial release?

Evans: Making sure that I’m always going vertical. When you get a DB’s hips to turn down field you have him because you can break in any direction or stop. Whenever you get to the top of your route you always want to have his hips turned towards the end zone. Once you get his hips turned towards the end zone your always have him beat.

RSP: Talk about the difference in mindset and action for a receiver when he’s facing zone coverage instead of man coverage.

Herron: It’s the timing and knowing where the other players are and against man, you only have to get open against one dude. With zone you have to know where the inside dude is and adjust your route off him. When you come out of your break you either have to see where he is or know where he’ll be. You might be running an out route against zone and settle into a spot after your break because the corner could be sitting where you’re headed.

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RSP: Would it be accurate to say that routes against man coverage is like telling a story to the defender that you want him to believe whereas versus zone you’re reacting to your opponents’ stories and trying to find what he’s hiding from you fast.

Herron: It is like that, but with both you still want to make them do what you want them to do. It’s just with zone you have to adjust to what they’re doing.

RSP: In man you dictate, in zone they dictate . . .

Herron: Yeah.

RSP: Is there anybody you faced during your career whose game you really respect?

Evans: D.J. Hayden from Houston who was the 12th pick overall with the Oakland Raiders last year is a really good corner who I faced my junior year. He was a tough player to go against, I’m not going to lie. He was very patient as well as strong and fast. You had to be more patient than him and get physical. He helped me raise my game because I realized that I had to become a more physical receiver.

RSP: Facing a patient corner is a difficult challenge for receivers because there’s an expectation of when a receiver thinks he’ll get his opponent to bite on a route. When that time doesn’t arrive . . .

Evans: It’s tough. When a corner is that patient and moves his feet well and uses his hands well you have to be able to knock him off his spot or use your hands to rip through.

Grant: If he’s patient you have to make him move his feet. You attack the foot that he doesn’t want to move and make him move it. If he’s head-up you probably want to make him move that inside foot. If he’s outside then you want to make him move that outside foot.

RSP: Let’s move on to making the catch. How important is it to attack the ball at the earliest window within your range to make contact with the ball?

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Grant: At first, I wasn’t that good at attacking the ball in the air when I came to Tulane. But my coaches told me that I had to be hungry for the ball and attack it. You want to catch the ball at its earliest and highest point that you can reach. You want to always be going up early, going up strong, and taking it away. If you do those things you’ll be fine.

Herron: It’s big! If I were to give anyone advice it’s that you have to snap your head and hands to the quarterback as soon as you get out of your route. It was something that I had to learn over the years. You want to almost see him throw the ball. If not, you want to see the ball just out of his hand or else it’s more difficult to find the ball in the air.

RSP: It sounds like something so simple to do, but when you have a helmet on and you’re trying to snap your head around it can have a discombobulating effect on your vision. Is there a hint or tip on doing this well?

Herron: You want to locate the “X” of the football (the point where the seams intersect) and watch it all the way until it lands in your hands. Because the ball is spinning you can’t always see the outside of the ball. In college there’s a strip on the ball, but there’s no stripe on the NFL ball.

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RSP: When it comes to catching the ball where on your hands do you want to make the reception?

Grant: On your fingertips. I don’t want the ball on the palms of my hands. When that happens it bounces off hard.

Reese’s Senior Bowl Report Day 2: North-South Offense Notes

January 21, 2014 0 Comments read 2014 NFL Draft

Brent Musberger said he talked to scouts who compared Tajh Boyd to Russell Wilson. Let's have a look from the pocket. Photo by PDA.Photo. — Tajh Boyd had a couple of good throws today, but his team isn’t the one to watch for signal callers. Photo by PDA.Photo.

Today’s practice report will have a stream of conscious format minus my id. I wouldn’t do that to you.

If you haven’t heard elsewhere, the jet stream made a personal appearance at Ladd-Peebles Stadium for Day 2 of Senior Bowl practices. I’m not sure if tomorrow will be as blustery, but the morning practice could feature sub-30-degree readings on the thermometer. One can imagine what swirling winds with gusts over 30 mph can do to a vertical passing game so keep that in mind as I proceed through my notes of the day.

Maybe it’s the fact he wears No.1 and he’s in the front row I see during stretches, but Josh Huff continues to be the player I’m drawn to first. This is the second day in a row where the Oregon receiver has earned at least two steps on a defensive back multiple times in a practice session. He had one drop today during drills, but the rest he caught and he used his hands well enough to earn these receptions while attacking the football.

Still, I haven’t seen situations where I would classify the quality of his hands beyond the term “competent.” The passes he has caught in the short an intermediate zones have been on the money with little need to adjust. The vertical looks he caught were in situations where he was wide open.

Huff’s drops on film come in more challenging situations where a player like Jordan Matthews has earned his reputation as a crunch-time performer: plays versus impending contact, tough adjustments to the football, or often both at the same time. Another issue I notice with Huff is some minor difficulty moving to his left. During footwork drills, Huff was much slower in lateral drills where he had to run patterns from right to left and even had to repeat a rep.

Huff had three reps with this lateral drill and each time he was far more deliberate and less precise with his feet than the other footwork drills where he was often one of the three best on the North roster. How this could matter, I’m not sure.

Maybe a defensive back picks up that Huff is slower or less precise moving left and that makes his job easier undercutting routes or funneling Huff in a direction where the receiver’s balance and agility is less dangerous. Then again, it could mean nothing.

Speaking of Matthews, the Vanderbilt receiver had the catch of the day – a back-shoulder fade at least 30 yards up the left sideline where he made a smooth turn to the ball, extended for the target and had two-thirds of his body parallel with the ground as he tight-roped the sideline. That said, the Jaguars staff had to remind him to work back to the ball after his breaks on shorter routes.

A receiver who might not be earning the same kind of buzz in Mobile because he’s not paired with the best trio of quarterbacks is Shaq Evans. However, he has made a good impression on me for a number of reasons.

Evans’ routes are among the smoothest of the group and I especially enjoyed watching him run a stem that worked so deep into the safety’s frame that the defensive back couldn’t react in any direction. It allowed Evans to catch the defender off-balance, drop the safety with a forearm shiver, and then break outside for an easy catch. That’s how I’d define “crawling up a defender’s ass.”

Unfortunately Evans isn’t earning easy down field targets despite getting separation. One specific target up the right sideline featured a throw from Stephen Morris that was low, inside, and under thrown when it should have been high, outside, and leading the receiver. If Evans could have caught this ball it would have been the catch of the week, but he couldn’t stop his momentum, turn, drop for the low throw, and make the catch.

Where Evans has erred twice this week is throws that arrived a beat earlier than the receiver anticipated and he wasn’t looking for the ball as soon as he made his turn. As the result the passes were on top of Evans before he could react with his hands.

Today’s late reaction was a throw to his back shoulder up the right sideline about 25 yards down field. Evans juggled the ball and had two chances to secure it, but wasn’t successful. He’s a good player on this squad who has room to get better, but between the wind and his quarterbacks I’m skeptical we’ll get to see Evans show off his vertical game like he hoped.

QB Logan Thomas was hesitant where he needed to be aggressive today.

Logan Thomas is one of these North squad quarterbacks and his accuracy beyond the 10-yard range has been sub par the past two days. The worst of these attempts was a deep streak up the right flat where the receiver broke wide open 20 yards past the line of scrimmage, Thomas saw it, and didn’t pull the trigger.

He hesitated for another two beats before attempting the throw. This was the kind of decision-making in the vertical game that Kerry Collins used to make in Oakland that almost ended Randy Moss’ career. Thomas’ throw was so late, the receiver had to wait on the ball and attempt to win the target against two defenders while facing the quarterback rather than running under the ball in stride 3-4 steps behind only one defender.

Tajh Boyd also missed a notable attempt in the deep passing game during a morning session where the wind wasn’t as great of a factor. While the throw to the right flat traveled 45 yards with nice touch, the pass was short and inside rather than long and outside. He did manage an accurate deep out at the right sideline resulting in a strong catch from Jared Abbrederis, who high-pointed the ball at the boundary for one of the better catches of the day.

The most confident throws came during the South practice. David Fales didn’t challenged the deep zones much, but he was willing to split zones in the short and intermediate game with good timing into tight spots.

Both Derek Carr and Jimmy Garappolo were sharp in the short game, but each had multiple throws targeting wide open receivers up the left sideline during wind gusts that carried the ball outside the boundary during the afternoon. There was little I’ve gained from watching these quarterbacks compared to what I’ve seen on tape, thanks to the weather and the nature of the practices.

A player I have gained a lot of knowledge about this week is former Northwestern quarterback Kain Coulter. Although lacking the dynamic promise of Denard Robinson, Coulter is a far better pass catcher than his Michigan counterpart at this stage of their conversion process.

This time last year, Robinson was struggling to catch the football. Some of this had to do with an injury and over-thinking his routes. Coulter has experienced no such problems.

The best quarterback performance on the North Roster might have come from Kain Colter at wide receiver. Photo by West Point Military Academy.

The novice receiver has struggled earning separation and his routes need refinement at the top of his stems, but catches almost everything his way, including targets where the placement is to awkward locations to his frame. One such target was a ball that Coulter had to reach against his momentum and snare low and away from his back hip that even the best receivers in this class would have dropped 60-70 percent of the time.

A final evaluation on the upside of player making a position change is always one of the more difficult calls. What I can tell you at this stage is that Coulter’s hands aren’t a problem and I think if he displays a flair for the difficult play after he’s had time not to think about what he’s doing as a route runner, he’ll be a keeper.

Another intriguing position conversion project is Georgia Southern’s Jerick McKinnon, who displayed sharp cutback ability in the backfield both to his left and his right this afternoon during 11-on-11 drills. I had an AFC scout tell me that his team is excited about McKinnon’s athleticism and they believe he has upside to develop into a contributor at the running back position. I’m still waiting to see a situation where he can showcase his long speed and an opportunity or two where he must display greater maturity to get down hill.

Charles Sims is the best all-around skill player I’ve seen after two days and while I should know better not to play amateur psychologist, I get the sense that he knows it. I interviewed Sims last night and he was an affable young man who possessed a looseness with his interactions that I’d hazard to characterize as a quiet confidence. Or to be more accurate, he was brimming with quiet confidence.

Sims was by far the best in blocking drills today and he won every match-up I saw against linebackers thanks to his quick feet, strong angles, a decent punch, and good hand position. He was decisive to the holes in 9-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills, found a cutback lanes in the creases and found his way to the third level of the defense multiple times.

One of Sims’ more impressive displays of athleticism was a stop-start move to sidestep a linebacker who that he had Sims dead to rights in the backfield outside right end. I still don’t get the Matt Forte comparisons other than I believe these “Forte compers” see a bigger back with quickness and receiving skill and related it to the Bears’ back. The way Sims carries his pads and cuts is more akin to Demarco Murray if you ask me.

What matters is that he’s earning comparisons to good NFL starters. I’ll have another analysis if his game on the blog soon enough. If you haven’t seen the one I did this summer, you can find it here.

I’m also glad to report that James White displayed good feet and tenacity as a pass protector as well as maturity to hit the crease between the tackles and finish with strong pad level on runs where a larger opening did not appear. In contrast, David Fluellen – a 225-pounder – attempted to reverse his field on plays where the interior creases didn’t open. Although these plays looked good to less experienced eyes, it’s not a great sign in 9-on-7 drills where the intensity isn’t as high and the aim is to demonstrate mature decisions.

In pass protection Fluellen’s performance was spotty. He held his own numerous times with decent footwork and hand position, but he also lacked the aggression to deliver the first punch. He caught a punch from a linebacker that forced him into bubble of space near the coaching playing the quarterback during the drill.

Michael Campanaro is a player whose tape had me vacillating with my overall take. Is he a nice reserve capable of contributing along the lines of Falcons receiver Harry Douglas or can he do more as a super productive slot receiver? Nothing from practices is moving me firmly into one camp.

On some plays, he’s earning quality separation and others he’s too deliberate with his route or jammed at the line of scrimmage. If I had to make the call today, I’d say Campanaro’s upside is along the spectrum of Douglas. It means he’s a nice NFL prospect, but one only die-hard fans will find exciting.

I’m not a fan of Jalen Saunders’ game. Now that he’s asked to do more in practice than catch screens, crossing routes, and verticals, we’re seeing a player whose size is an impediment. Saunders was knocked off track almost every rep during press drills and has difficulty getting the opposition to give up position in tight man.

A receiver I was excited to see this week was Cody Hoffman, but I think his performance is another that exemplifies a prospect not playing in an offense that maximizes his positives. Hoffman is a free-access receiver along the lines of Vincent Jackson and it means he’s not a great route technician in close quarters prior to the break. Unlike Jackson, I don’t see the speed. Hoffman isn’t slow, but I’d be shocked if he ran under a 4.5-40.

Other than C.J. Fiedorowicz dropping a pass high and away from his outside shoulder in the flat and Jake Pedersen making a nice grab in tight quarters between zone defenders, I didn’t see much from the tight ends worth reporting at this stage.

Tomorrow, the Falcons and Jaguars coaching staffs will switch teams. Yes, you read that right. Stay tuned for Jene Bramel’s Day 2 report on the defense – there’s a maniac lurking on the South roster.

For more Senior Bowl Info also check out:

Jene Bramel: Does the Reese’s Senior Bowl Put Edge Rushers In Position to Succeed?

January 21, 2014 0 Comments read 2014 NFL Draft

Kyle Van Noy epitomizes the glut of rushers that aren't an easy fit for the current specifications of 4-3 defenses seen at the Senior Bowl. Photo by Ken Lund. — Kyle Van Noy epitomizes the glut of rushers that aren’t an easy fit for the current specifications of 4-3 defenses seen at the Senior Bowl. Photo by Ken Lund.

Players may be more scheme diverse than ever before, but short practice schedules and a traditional mindset may limit their ability to display their true upside at the Senior Bowl.

By Jene Bramel

The NFL evolves quickly. Decades ago, Jimmy Johnson’s preference for speed first and size second generated a new wave of defenders. Defensive ends looked like linebackers. Outside linebackers looked like safeties. Some defensive coordinators adapted immediately. So, too, eventually did old school defensive coordinators and fans, who began recognizing that 255 pound defensive ends and 230 pound inside linebackers weren’t liabilities in a base defensive package.

A similar transition started some years ago as many of the league’s best defensive minds began using a 1-gap, attacking 3-4 and hybrid fronts. Then, the default term for a pass rusher considered too slight to hold up as a down defensive lineman but too big to be successful in coverage was “tweener.” It was rare to find a “tweener” who was a dominating pass rusher from both two and three point stances and could also handle stand up linebacker responsibilities. That skill set is much more common today. Even those that do struggle to handle more traditional linebacker responsibilities are often adept at rushing the passer from either stance.

That’s made the term “tweener” obsolete. These players are now scheme diverse. They deserve to be called what they are – edge rushers – without forcing them into a given base defensive scheme. And in today’s NFL, those players are now prized commodities.

Here at the Senior Bowl, however, these players aren’t treated as such. Even worse, when too many are invited to the game, some are forced into a more traditional, base 4-3 strong side linebacker role. It may not necessarily hurt their draft stock, but it isn’t putting them in a position to succeed.

It wasn’t a major issue in recent years, as there was enough all-around outside linebacker talent in the ranks that each squad had a well-rounded group of defensive end and outside linebackers. The coaching staffs also did an admirable job of giving players like Courtney Upshaw, Cam Johnson, Sio Moore, Melvin Ingram, Ty Powell, Shea McClellin and others opportunity in multiple situations over the past two seasons. This year’s rosters seem more unbalanced, however. Many of the linebacker prospects – and some defensive end prospects – may not see many snaps in the roles they may be best suited for on Sundays.

The North squad is using Trent Murphy exclusively at defensive end. That’s likely a good decision. But Michael Sam and Marcus Smith would seem better fits in an edge rushing role than the strong side linebacker role they’re being used in currently. In Monday’s North practice, Sam and Smith saw just three pass rushing reps each in one-on-one drills and zero reps in team drills. Teams want to see both players in a new role, but they should be given an opportunity to show how their best skill holds up against Senior Bowl competition.

It’s even worse on the South roster, where there’s not a prototype middle linebacker on the roster. Instead, it’s a mix of flow-and-chase 4-3 outside linebacker talents and edge rushing prospects. That mix led to the Jacksonville coaching staff using Jerry Attaochu at inside linebacker for a handful of reps today, according to those who watched the South practice on Monday.

It’s early in the week and there are lots of practice reps yet to be taken. Tomorrow could be the day the coaches have planned to work Marcus Smith in heavily as a weak side end or use Attaochu exclusively in an edge rushing role. We could see a heavier installation of 4-3 Under concepts than in past seasons as the week progresses.

More likely, however, the limited practice time will prevent the coaching staffs from deviating from the early week plans. Unfortunately, that means the “tweeners” of the Senior Bowl experience may not get a chance to see how their best skill stacks up against elite college competition.

Under Phil Savage, the Senior Bowl has been more progressive and NFL-friendly over the past two seasons. It’s time to continue the trend on the field and find new ways to highlight this critical group of players.

Jene Bramel’s Reese’s Senior Bowl Defensive Practice Day 1 Notes

January 21, 2014 0 Comments read 2014 NFL Draft

Borland was fundamentally strong and instinctive, but might not have one elite skill. Photo by Enrique Sanabria.

Jene Bramel posts his takes on the North squad’s front seven on the opening day of practice.

By Jene Bramel

The first day of practice in Mobile is a transitional practice of sorts. Each NFL team that I’ve seen coach in Mobile runs their practice a little differently. Players that assimilate concepts in drills and installation work quickly and players with superior raw talent and technique stand out and draw rave reviews early. Players asked to do drills that may be just a little different than those they ran in college, who are learning a new position or who are now facing elevated competition for a full 90-minute period either do not draw any notice or are called disappointments.

Today was no exception on the defensive side of the ball.

I focused on the front seven today during the North practice, watching a mix of linebacker and defensive line drills and focusing on line play during the team sessions.

DT Aaron Donald, Pittsburgh: Without question, Donald was the most dominant player on the North defense today. Showing a mix of strong hands, a technically sound base and quick first step, Donald improved with each repetition. He was unblockable during 9-on-7 and team drills, including a stretch where he made Baylor’s Cyril Richardson look like a stationary heavy bag. Penetration is Donald’s game and today was a great start for the 288-pound defensive tackle. During team drills, Donald would have had at least three sacks had he been allowed to finish plays at the quarterback.

DT Ra’shede Hageman, Minnesota: Entering today, Hageman carried a higher consensus draft grade than Donald. He showed very quick feet during drills, especially moving laterally, but the Atlanta staff wanted him lower as he moved through the bags. Hageman was better in 9-on-7 and team drills, but didn’t flash as Donald did. Hageman’s size and athleticism are intriguing and it’s early, but if he’s unable to show he can be consistently disruptive, scouts may start to look at him as more of a 5-technique than a 4-3 defensive tackle.

DE Kareem Martin, North Carolina: In our weigh-in review earlier today, I implied that Martin’s above-average length might become a hindrance if he was unable to control his opponents with his hands. Technique was an issue for him today, as he frequently lost leverage with a base that was too wide for his pass rush plan. Notre Dame’s Zach Martin, a tackle whose measurements have observers wondering if he’s better suited to play guard, handled him with relative ease.

DE Trent Murphy, Stanford: Zach Martin also handled Murphy on the vast majority of their matchups. Murphy may have just had a bad opening practice, but he looked stiff laterally at times and had difficulty with his footwork in bag drills. He also seemed to noticeably tire at the end of his 2-3 rep bursts. It’s notable that, while Michael Sam and Marcus Smith joined the defensive line group for 1-v-1 pass rush reps, I didn’t notice Murphy join the linebacker group for coverage drills. Given his struggles with footwork in line drills, it may not be a surprise that Murphy is being looked at exclusively at end.

LB Chris Borland, Wisconsin: Borland played inside at Wisconsin, but is taking reps as the Will linebacker in Mobile alongside UCLA’s Jordan Zumwalt. In a group of linebackers featuring two edge rushers trying to learn a more traditional strong side linebacker role and others more athletic than instinctive, Borland stood out today as the only linebacker who looked confident in his reads and instinctive enough to put himself in position to make plays. He was in the right place to pick up at least two turnovers today and frequently was waiting in position to finish a tackle. The other North linebackers looked a step slow to the play and were often seen reaching to get a touch on a ballcarrier. I didn’t watch the LB v RB/TE coverage drills today. If Borland holds his own there, he may quickly move up draft boards.

CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Nebraska: Though I didn’t watch the CB v WR drills today, I did make a point to watch Jean-Baptiste footwork and hip turn during a handful of team reps. He looked fluid on those occasions and not limited by his 6-2, 215 pound frame. I expect he’ll generate lots of buzz if he holds his own during press drills during the week.

The North safeties are a promising group. Ahmad Dixon seemed to generate the most positive discussion from observers today. I’m also looking forward to watching Dixon, Jimmie Ward and Deone Bucannon more closely tomorrow.

Tomorrow is arguably the most critical practice session of the week. Players who struggled today can relieve concerns with a bounce-back effort while those who impressed early can further boost their momentum with another strong set of reps. North players on the hot seat include defensive ends Kareem Martin and Trent Murphy and outside linebacker Chris Kirksey.

Inside linebacker Jonathan Brown has an opportunity to take advantage of a relatively weak group of linebackers with a better day of practice. And the two edge rushers working primarily as strong side linebackers – Michael Sam and Marcus Smith – must show more comfort in playing the run off the line of scrimmage and recognizing run-pass from the second level.

[We’ll have coverage of both North and South practices on both Tuesday and Wednesday.]

Reese’s Senior Bowl Day 1 Offensive Practice And Media Night

January 21, 2014 0 Comments read 2014 NFL Draft

Was Bradley Roby's performance against Jared Abbrederis (above) a case of rust or a that of a polished receiver winning his routes? Photo by Matt Radickal. — Jared Abbrederis will be a minor revelation to some. Photo by Matt Radickal.

It’s not where you start, but how you finish. This is true in life and often during a Senior Bowl practice week. While not true for all players, the first practice session for an all-star game is good for setting an informal baseline for the week ahead.

We did not attend the Jaguars’ South practice, but according to an AFC scout we didn’t miss anything more than basic play installation and a bunch of minor errors. The Falcons’ practice wasn’t much different. If judging by first impression, the Atlanta coaching staff’s practice format isn’t the best I have seen for Senior Bowl observers, but it is far from the worst.

The positive of practice is that the Atlanta staff focused a lot on footwork, releases, and one-on-one drills between receivers and corners while also giving running backs chances to show their stuff in light scrimmage conditions. The negative is that there was a period of 10-15 minutes during field goal drills where the Falcons could have been working with the skill position players on the opposite side of the field.

Understandably, a coaching staff running practice at the Senior Bowl should not and could not care less about what the media wants to see. The event’s director Phil Savage has an opportunity to get the coaching staffs to provide an agenda of what the practices will include, but there’s only a handful of people like Jene and I who actually care about things like this. Still, it’s one of those things that many in attendance might value once they see the result.

As for the players, the first day reveals little things that provide layers to their overall analysis: who’s flexible, who has difficulty executing basic drills, what’s their level of effort, etc. Here’s a list of notes we observed from the North’s initial session.

Quarterbacks

Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech: He missed throws high and wide on basic drills to receivers running routes without coverage. He also threw an interception on a check-down to a back, which is something I rarely see in scrimmage conditions like these. He was not aggressive down field on his first day.

Tajh Boyd, Clemson: The Tigers’ quarterback led off scrimmages with a play action roll right with a deep throw long and wide of a wide open Josh Huff. Beyond this play, Boyd stuck to short passes and quick decisions running the basics of an offense that emphasized wide receiver and running back screens during this session.

Stephen Morris: The Hurricanes’ quarterback weighed a surprising 208 lbs. today. I fully expected him to be at least 10-15 pounds heavier. While I’ve seen Morris throw the football 60 yards in the air against Florida State like it was nothing, today he under threw a wide-open Huff up the right sideline and forced the receiver to work inside and wait on the ball. The Oregon receiver almost made a tricky one-handed grab on the play. Otherwise, Morris stuck to the short stuff.

Running Backs

David Fluellen, Toledo: Fluellen is one of several running backs in this class who I still don’t have a great gauge of his acceleration and short-range explosiveness. Some plays look better than others and today it was no different with Fluellen. At 226 pounds, the Toledo back looked good in receiving drills and fluid with his change of direction. He made a nice decision inside left tackle with a strong cut down hill early in practice that caught my eye.

Charles Sims, West Virginia: Strong hands, good feet, and a feel for the openings ahead of him. Nothing new from what I’ve seen on film, which is a good all-around runner with lead back potential. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.

James White, Wisconsin: The 5’9″, 206-lb. runner was a fun interview with a good sense of humor. I asked him about recent alums from his program and how their performances have contributed to the perception that Wisconsin backs are a product of great line play. We also shared a laugh about the general surprise that the draft community had about his weigh-in. The best thing I got from White was a brief but informative take on what he watches when diagnosing run blitzes before the snap. I believe White has a realistic sense of who he is as a football player attempting to earn a job as a professional.

Wide Receivers

This is the position I spend the most time watching and the first day of practice confirmed (thus far) much of what I’ve seen on tape from these guys. The focus of the next few days will be looking for examples that they’re learning new things and on the way to improving their craft.

While some new lessons have a quick turnaround time, others will require far more than three practices to matter. If these players are making the effort and demonstrating incremental improvements – even if small – it can be a good sign.

Shaq Evans, UCLA: What I’m most interested in seeing is Evans’ vertical game. The Bruins receiver told me this evening it was the untapped aspect of his game that wasn’t on display at UCLA and many don’t realize he has the skill to make big plays down field. While I agree with him, I’m not confident his quarterbacks have the deep accuracy to help him this week as much as we saw from Marvin Jones a couple of years ago.

Still, Evans’ practice was among the better performances in positional drills. Other than a route where he was late looking for the ball from his break and it got on top of him before he could raise his hands, I didn’t see a dropped pass.

Evans was consistent at attacking the football away from his body. He also adjusts to the ball with fluid athleticism. What’s most notable is the speed and precision of his footwork in drills.

Atlanta’s opening drill was an emphasis on footwork patterns that ended with a break across the field to catch a pass. Over half of the receivers were either fast with their feet or precise with their steps, but only two possessed both characteristics. One of them was Jared Abbrederis. The other was Evans.

One of Evans’ best plays of the session was a fade route where he didn’t get too close to the sideline until he beat Dez Southward by a step and angled to the boundary for a catch over his inside shoulder with good extension of his arms. This was not the typical route of 12-17 yards that he says he saw routinely at UCLA.

Kain Colter, Northwestern: A quarterback-turned-receiver, Colter has a lot of work to do, but the frame and athleticism to get there. The opening footwork drills were sloppy in terms of precision, but the foot speed was there. He was the one receiver position coach Terry Robiskie had repeat a rep in practice and it was handled with a level of patience that connotes and understand that Colter is a behind the curve compared to his peers.

Colter had multiple reps where he struggled to get free from press. He lacks the polish to execute more than one release move and he doesn’t appear to recognize how to read the ways he should approach a release from the line at this stage of his development.

When Colter got down field on a route, Dontae Johnson pinned the receiver to the sideline and forced a throwaway. When he caught the ball on a route breaking to the left flat, his opponent forced a fumble.

These are the type of plays one should expect from a new convert still thinking his way through all the steps required to play the position. The quickness, hands, and hustle are all traits he brings to the table, but his athleticism won’t come to the fore until he isn’t thinking about the small things. The fact Colter is covering punts in this team is a good indication of his immediate potential value for an NFL team.

Jared Abbrederis, Wisconsin: I have admired Abbrederis’ game since he got the best of Ohio State’s Bradley Roby last fall. Some observers will be impressed and/or surprised with his performance today, but Abbrederis’ opening practice was not the best I have seen from the receiver.

Still it was a good overall afternoon for the receiver. As mentioned, his opening performance on the footwork drills was cleaner and faster than anyone’s save Evans and the occasional strong rep from Michael Campanaro. He also made a number of good plays in one-on-ones with cornerbacks.

He forced Pierre Desire to commit deep before breaking short and also flashed a strong rip move to get inside on his teammate Southward. Late in one-on-one sessions, Abbrederis caught a slant in tight coverage and ran through a wrap attempt. He plays bigger than his 189-lbs. frame.

At the same time there were reps that highlighted the need for Abbrederis to add more muscle. He had multiple one-on-one reps where he failed to get a clean release on press coverage and would not have earned a target if it wasn’t a drill where he was the sole receiver. He also had an early drop on a slant after contact from Stan Jean-Baptiste.

Yet, these plays weren’t indicative of his game and minor notes in the scheme of a player capable of winning just as many as he loses. The play that spoke most to his skill was his best of a the afternoon: A streak up the right sideline against Marqueston Huff.

Abbrederis beat the corner with a good outside-inside to earn the initial release and he had a solid step on the corner when quarterback Stephen Morris released the ball. Morris, under-threw the route and Abbrederis had to turn to face the trailing Huff and make the catch in the tightest of quarters.

The Wisconsin receiver will be a minor revelation to the uninitiated this week.

Jeff Janis, Saginaw Valley State: As Abbrederis validated his skills, Janis further demonstrated that he drops as many passes that he catches when forced to attack the ball with his hands. He trapped his first two reps and then dropped the third when forced to extend his arms from his body on an accurate throw. He resorted to trapping the ball for most of his reps where he had a chance to make the catch with the exception of a quick slant in 11-on-11s that resulted in a hard hit that knocked Saginaw on his side and drew oohs from the media.

Between that drop early and that catch late, Janis struggled beating press against Marqueston Huff, Dez Southward, I believe Deone Buchannon. During one-on-ones he failed to break to the quarterback on an in-cut that his opponent undercut for a near-interception and also failed to work to the quarterback after a good break on a stop route.

There will be some talk about what Janis can do based on isolated moments on tape where they see him make a good catch with his hands or get open and earn the reception in tight coverage. However, the volume of plays I had to watch to see these good moments were too large to give significant weight.

Robert Herron, Wyoming: What I liked most about this smaller receiver was his initial quickness and variety of moves to earn a clean release. Although I’m not convinced he has the down field speed to extend a lead against top corners, he was consistent at getting on top of his opponents in practice.

Herron demonstrated a swim move, rip, and underhanded release, and integrated these skills with good footwork. His play of the day was an excellent double move on a post-corner and flashed enough closing speed to corral a pass over his shoulder with full extension of his arms on a throw I didn’t believe he’d reach.

The Wyoming receiver was also a good interview. He shared some quality tips on the technique of position, including how to successfully find the ball on quick-breaking timing routes where it’s mandatory to get his head around fast.

Josh Huff, Oregon: As anyone familiar with his game would guess, Huff got open deep multiple times on Monday. He beat Dez Southward on a double move and then later had a touchdown in on a go route where he got open early and maintained his position.

Huff demonstrates some skill to catch the ball with his hands, but when he has to make a more difficult adjustment there’s a tendency to fight the ball. He juggled a low and away throw in drills and had another awkward catch in the middle of practice.

I like what I see from Huff as a future deep threat in a rotation, but not a slam-dunk future starter. No only do his hands need to get better, but he needs to display greater precision with his footwork. He was one of the three best with his feet today, but he lacked the precision of Evans and Abbrederis.

Michael Campanaro, Wake Forest: The 5’9″, 191-lb. receiver was shorter than I thought, but his weight was a pleasant surprise. A quick player, the Demon Deacon got the best of every corner he faced at least once on Monday. He displayed a variety of release moves that worked and he often displayed good feet in one-on-ones even if his footwork was less consistent in opening drills.

When defensive backs got the best of Campanaro it came when they pressed the receiver. It wasn’t an automatic loss for Campanaro, but he had to work hard on some plays where his peers had an easier time.

Senior Bowl Weigh-In

January 20, 2014 0 Comments read 2014 NFL Draft

Funky historic undertones aside, the Sr. Bowl Weigh-In provides necessary data.

By Matt Waldman with contributions from Jene Bramel

Save the occasional whisper, the shuffling of paper, and feedback from a microphone, there’s a period of 109 minutes at the Senior Bowl Weigh-In where you only hear five things. It begins with a man at stage right announcing a name.

Next comes the muffled thud of steps from an athlete in his early twenties. He’s barefoot and stripped to his underwear as he makes his way for measurement at center stage.

The attendant at center stage announces the athlete’s height. There’s a 10-12 second pause followed by three digital beeps from a scale at stage left and the announcement of said athlete’s weight.

It’s a process that cycles through 109 players with the slow-moving precision of an assembly line as a crowd of scouts and media seated in 7 rows of 67 chairs, 12 rows of risers, and 8-10 rows of overflow convert everything they see and hear into data for their notebooks, spreadsheets, and databases.

The weigh-in is the ultimate sign of the commoditization of an athlete. Watching this process set in the Mobile Convention Center “Ballroom,” a warehouse space with a cement floor and loading doors across the street from what used to be a dock in Mobile, Alabama. Although gussied up with black drapes, three large projection screens, and a podium, it doesn’t disguise the fact that men are being evaluated for purchase on the Martin Luther King holiday – a fact not lost on us.

The weigh-in has the mood of a slave auction posing as a beauty pageant with ex-jocks-turned-librarians as judges. It’s not a fun thing for any man with a sense of history to attend, but it’s hard to imagine football ever finding a way to fix this vibe and getting what needs to be seen.

And what needs to be seen is what these football players look like. It’s not just about height and weight, but build and expectations validated or dashed. Here are some observations Jene Bramel and I have from the 2014 Senior Bowl Weigh-In.

Pageant Winners

These players not only fit the size/weight/wingspan prototypes of their positions, but they were also in fine physical condition. If the weigh-in was a beauty pageant, they’d earn a sash. Just remember substance trumps looks every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

RB Charles Sims, West Virginia (5-11, 214): Sims’ carries his weight on a well-distributed frame and there was still room to add a little more muscle to his arms if necessary. Much like Demarco Murray and Darren McFadden two players he physically resembles, Sims looks the part of an elite athlete.

WR Jeff Janis, Saginaw Valley State (6-2, 212): Janis has well-defined build with broad shoulders and an even distribution of muscle. He looks the part of an NFL wide receiver.

QB Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech (6-5, 250): Tall, strong, and athletic without any flab that one often sees from some quarterbacks over 210 pounds. Some team will see him as a raw material.

RB Jerick McKinnon, Georgia Southern (5-9, 209): The former quarterback has a thick trunk with a build that looks a lot like Frank Gore’s. If only he had that kind of game. If only most running backs had that kind of game.

DE Kareem Martin, North Carolina (6-5, 272): It isn’t the height / weight measurements that stand out for Martin. It’s the 84 1/4 wingspan and 34 3/8 arm length. If Martin can use that to his advantage by keeping offensive tackles away from his body, he’ll do well in the pit battles and gain some momentum as Pro Day workouts approach.

OLB Jerry Attaochu, Georgia Tech (6-3, 252), DE Dee Ford, Auburn (6-2, 243) and DE Chris Smith, Arkansas (6-1, 266): The South defensive line doesn’t have the names it had in 2012, when Quinton Coples, Melvin Ingram and Courtney Bishop dominated their offensive line counterparts. Ford and Smith all showed impressive frames during the weigh-in. All three are on the shorter side of the ideal prototype but stood out with strong frames. Smith, despite measuring two inches smaller than his pre-weigh in roster listing, had a thick base and an above-average arm length (34 1/8) and wingspan (82 1/2).

OLB Telvin Smith, Florida State (6-3, 218), OLB Chris Kirksey, Iowa (6-2, 234), ILB Christian Jones, Florida State (6-3, 234), ILB Jordan Zumwalt, UCLA (6-4, 231) and ILB Lamin Barrow, LSU (6-1, 229): Size isn’t everything at the linebacker position in today’s NFL. 235 pound linebackers once considered too small for most schemes are now found throughout the league. But those players need elite technique and athleticism to be successful. None of the linebackers above looked to have a frame capable of adding much bulk. Smith, in particular, looked like a safety as he walked across the stage. Of course, the only real question scouts have to answer will be, “Can he play?” Smith and Kirksey are probably the best bets to overcome physical limitations.

CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Nebraska (6-2, 215): It’s dangerous to overreact to measurements at the defensive back positions. Fluidity and flexibility are much more important physical attributes for corners and safeties than how they look in shorts. A solid frame and defined build don’t say much for how well a defensive back can turn his hips, change direction and use his feet. Jean-Baptiste will be another test case here. Jean-Baptiste looked capable of lining up at strong safety or outside linebacker with a tall but stout frame. If his play matches his measurables this week, he may get teams talking about him as a second or third round pick.

Good Surprises

These players exceeded my expectations based on what I perceived of them in pads on the field. Some have probably added weight so it will be interesting to see how they perform with those changes.

RB James White, Wisconsin (5-9, 206): I had doubts White was 5-10 or 5-11 or remotely near the 200-lb. range. His true height is still in the wheelhouse of a quality NFL runner and his weight was a pleasant development. If White can demonstrate more physicality with his running style, he could find a place in the NFL. He’s a smart runner with good agility.

RB Antonio Andrews, Western Kentucky (5-10, 225): I didn’t think Andrews was this big and based solely on appearances, he carries the weight well. The definition isn’t there but I like that much of the weight is in his hips and legs. He’s solid, not flabby.

WR Cody Hoffman, BYU (6-3, 218): The height is nice, but I was happy to see he was as big as he looked in pads. Hoffman has a quick first step so I was glad to see he possesses the size to run through contact.

Maxxed Out

These players could play today with their builds, but I don’t see them adding more than 5 pounds and carrying it well.

TE Arthur Lynch, Georgia (6-4, 258): Lynch has that natural-looking muscle definition in nice-sized frame. He looks like a fluid athlete. I don’t think he’s capable of getting bigger, but he’s big enough to make a roster. Lynche’s question marks are speed and quickness. If he has these two commodities, he could contribute down the line.

WR Josh Huff, Oregon (5-10, 201) and Jordan Matthews, Vanderbilt (6-2, 209): I’m skeptical that these two players have the frames to support another 10-15 pounds of muscle and maintain their current athleticism. I don’t think either of them needed it, but Huff has better proportions in terms of his weight distribution than Matthews.

QB Derek Carr, Fresno State (6-2, 215) and QB Jimmy Garoppolo, Eastern Illinois (6-2, 219): Not sure what it was about their frames because their height is the same, but Garoppolo appears as if he could add a little more weight than Carr. I’d be surprised if either reach that 230-mark – it won’t be necessary either. Both are well-defined athletes and don’t look like some of the beer-league softball players in training that we sometimes see on Mobile’s stage.

Construction Projects

SS Craig Loston, LSU (6-0, 214): If you look at his torso, you’d think he was 190 pounds but if you only checked out his bottom half you’d swear he was 225.

WR Kevin Norwood, Alabama (6-2, 197): This receiver has nice height and a frame that I believe will support additional weight, especially his upper body where he can get stronger. With his height, this is a plus.

WR Jared Abbrederis, Wisconsin (6-0, 189): The Badgers’ wide receiver plays bigger than he looks. He has the frame to gain another 10 pounds of muscle, maybe 15. If he can maintain his quickness and explosion (leaping ability), he has the technique to contribute.

Futures: Senior Bowl Preview

January 15, 2014 0 Comments read Matt Waldman

Is UNC defensive end Quinton Coples the next Jason Pierre-Paul? Jene Bramel says the potential is there but like everything earned in life, he has to put in the work to hone his gifts. — The Senior Bowl practices begin next week on the Martin Luther King holiday. Photo by Jene Bramel.

Another year, another Senior Bowl. What I am looking for, and what does the format of the Senior Bowl help me see?

Futures: Senior Bowl Preview

by Matt Waldman

There will be hundreds of Senior Bowl Previews available within the next seven days. Most of them will explain why the game is important to the NFL and the participating player. Only a few writers won’t provide 3-4 sentence summaries of the prospects.

I have provided this type of preview in one form or another since I began attending five years ago. I’m doing some of that once again this year, but I’m also sharing a more personal preview of the event. In addition to disclosing what I want to see from dozens of players, this preview will cover what else all-star games offer me as an evaluator of talent with my own publication devoted to offensive skill prospects.

Continual Football Education

At its core, studying tape is a solitary pursuit focused on the end product. Attending all-star game practices provides a glimpse into another dimension of the game, its coaches, and its players behind the scenes.

The opportunity to watch two NFL coaching staffs conduct a practice for a week provides insight into not only what’s important to them, but also what I can reasonably expect a player to reveal about his game during these sessions.

There are prospects that arrive in Mobile with a reputation for a certain skill set based on their junior and senior film, but the practices reveal something important about their game that the past two years of tape doesn’t show. I was fortunate enough to see Bengals receiver Marvin Jones showcase his skills as vertical threat during his sophomore year, but because his role at Cal changed after his sophomore year, many observers had their eyes opened for the first time when they witnessed Jones’ big-play ability at the Senior Bowl.

Practices vary in tone, tempo, and detail and it means the type of information one can gain varies from year to year. While I’ve expressed my utopian ideal for the Senior Bowl in the past, the practical approach is to be prepared to take what you can get.

When Buffalo’s staff ran a week of practice a few years ago, special teams had heightened priority and the teaching moments from individual drills were less frequent. There’s still a lot to see, but practices don’t serve as an informal technique clinic, which Bengals and Lions practices often were.

Former Detroit offensive coordinator Scott Linehan’s practice sessions for the offense at the Senior Bowl were especially good. He had an up-tempo style and packed the mornings with a variety of drills that tested and taught details that prospects needed to develop into more complete players.

Learning What’s Valuable (And What’s Not) From Practices

Everyone gets something different from watching practice. My book focuses on skill prospects, so I don’t spend much time . . . (read the rest at Football Outsiders)