Posts tagged Jene Bramel

On the Defense: The RSP Football Writers Project

0 Comments read RSP Writers Project
Is a shutodwn corner like Charles Woodson your preference or are you seeking a gianormous, space-eating defensive tackle? Its these choices you'll face when building a team as a part of the RSP Football Writers Project. Photo by Elvis Kennedy.

By Jene Bramel

Last week, Matt introduced the RSP Football Writers Project, in which a collection of football writers and thinkers will have 4-6 weeks to put together an NFL team.  Each writer will have access to any player they want, but they’ll be forced to work within a salary cap and personnel requirements. More importantly, they’ll have to defend their choices as part of a coherent fundamental and philosophical approach.

I expect the writeups and discussion on this blog in the coming weeks to be among the best football reads you’ll see all year.  Continue reading →

RSP Football Writers Project

0 Comments read RSP Writers Project
I anticipate Drew Brees starting for at least one team for the RSP Football Writers Project, published this spring. Details below. Photo by eschipul.

Secretly, we all want to build a football team. It’s why we’re passionate about every player recruited, drafted, traded, and signed. It’s why we play fantasy football. It’s why many of us are fanatical about the NFL draft.

After a few weeks of my rants to Footballguys writer Sigmund Bloom about Steelers tight end Heath Miller as one of the more underrated players in football or how the Browns don’t use Josh Cribbs’ talent, Bloom got the kernel of an idea:

Why not let football writers build teams and write about them? And I want your help. Continue reading →

RSP Contest Update and Reads, Listens, Views 12/2

0 Comments read Reads Listens Views
Hint: Hakeem Nicks is NOT one of the receivers in this week's Name the Prospect RSP Contest. Photo by Romec1

The Name the Prospect Contest has earned a great response and a lot of readers are asking me if I have revealed the answers. You’re going to have to wait a little longer because only 1 reader out of nearly 100 entries has correctly identified all three players. I love a good contest and the fact only 1 out of 100 entries were correct is a strong indicator that the question was a worthy one.

I’m going to let the contest run a full week. If I don’t get three readers with correct answers by the end of Day Seven, Continue reading →

Reads, Listens, Views 11/25

0 Comments read Reads Listens Views

[youtube=http://youtu.be/MemNoK9hGrA]

Did you know 40 percent of Vince Young’s career wins are fourth quarter comebacks?

I Know How Kevin Smith Feels

I was going to play football today for the first time in 22 years – an annual post-Turkey day contest in the neighborhood where I grew up. Then I started running last week. Before you get the wrong idea, I’ve been biking 10 miles a day for nearly six months so I’m in decent cardiovascular shape.

I learned that your knees also need to work up to the pounding.  Continue reading →

Reads, Listens, Views 11/4

0 Comments read Reads Listens Views

[youtube=http://youtu.be/Q5M37PYqJ1M]

“Welcome aboard the S.S. Campbell. This is your captain, Cecil Lammey!”

I couldn’t resist…

It’s that time of the week where I like to take a moment to thank all of you for making it a habit to read the Rookie Scouting Portfolio blog. Hopefully you find the content as enjoyable to read as it is to write. While I enjoy the comments on the blog and email messages a great deal – keep ’em coming – if you wish to show your appreciation and get a gift that keeps on giving order the 2011 Rookie Scouting Portfolio. It’s currently sold at what I call a “Lockout Jitters price” of $9.95. Get it while the aftershocks of those jitters is still in effect. Previous issues are available by emailing me (mattwaldmanrsp@gmail.com).

On behalf of the Footballguys staff and all of you who read his work, I’d like to wish Footballguy extraordinaire and RSP blog contributor Dr. Jene Bramel a speedy recovery. The good doctor did the fantasy football broadcast equivalent of “playing hurt,” by phoning in his segment on Thursday night’s Audible podcast from a hospital bed.

Continue reading →

Reads Listens Views 10/21

0 Comments read Reads Listens Views

[youtube=http://youtu.be/BuHPCsH1EBQ]

Check out Walter Payton’s 75-yard reception.

It’s been a great week at the RSP blog. Chad Spann not only provided great information for an enlightening interview series about his training camp experience with Indianapolis, but he’s now a part of the Buccaneers practice squad and in London for the team’s match up with the Chicago Bears. Jay Cutler gave us a rare, “take this job and shove it,” moment on Sunday night. And Jene Bramel writes a fantastic piece where he dissects a play from an angle that gives us a different conclusion than what television commentators saw at first glance.

The only downer was Skype failing me when I was going to deliver my “And Justice For All” defense parody of John Beck on The Audible Roundtable. Google Phone, we’re pals for now. Don’t let me down…

If you’re new to this blog, thank you for checking out the digs. Even more thanks if you liked enough of what you’ve seen to subscribe. Continue reading →

Jene Bramel: What the TV Angles Don’t Show You

0 Comments read Matt Waldman
Jene Bramel gives us a dynamite piece on the value of All-22 angles from coaches tape using a touchdown from the Ravens-Texans game in Week 6 as an example. Photo by Ario_

By Jene Bramel

Television makes football look and sound amazing.  They give us HD video and surround sound, on-field suspended cameras, and parabolic microphones.  But the TV production crews – including many of the color broadcasters and their spotters – still miss showing us crucial chapters of the game story.

Thankfully, football geeks can get a glimpse behind the scenes every week with the Game Rewind service on NFL.com, which provides the coaches film for a few selected plays.  It’s a great way to see if something went down as the television angles and the announcers said it did on Sunday.  Sometimes, the two stories are as different as what my seven year-old and four year-old tell me after I find that half the Halloween candy has been eaten two weeks before they’ve put they’re costumes on. Continue reading →

Jene Bramel: Play Defense, not defenses

0 Comments read Matt Waldman
Will the Pats be using a 4-3 or a 3-4? Bill Belichick bristles at the desire to label. Jene Bramel explains why. Photo by Sean O'Brien.

[Editor’s note: Jene Bramel is an excellent football writer best known for his expertise with individual defensive players at Footballguys.com. One of the reasons he’s so good in this area (as well as the offensive side of the ball) is that he analyzes the game. He enjoys watching games and breaking down what he sees. Jene asked me if he could occasionally contribute to The Rookie Scouting Portfolio blog when he had something he felt like writing. How could I refuse?]

Much was made of the New England Patriots’ defensive scheme this preseason.  The signing of Albert Haynesworth and the release of Ty Warren prompted lots of discussion about whether the Pats would move away from what has been their traditional base 3-4 front in recent seasons.  Continue reading →

Conversation with Jene Bramel Part IV

0 Comments read Matt Waldman
Giants DE/LB Mathias Kiwanuka could prove to be a great loophole playher in IDP fantasy leagues because of his role in the Joker package that could emulate Charles Haley or Terrell Suggs. Photo by Alexa627

In the final part of our conversation, Footballguys IDP guru Jene Bramel discusses the possibilities for Mathias Kiwanuka’s role in New York, the roles of tiers in fantasy drafting, and what I believe is the absolute best scoring system to reflect the value of very position in an IDP/Offensive Player combo league. You have to see it.

Waldman: Tell me your thoughts about Mathias Kiwanuka and the Joker Package. He was off to a great start last year before the herniated disc. Do you think the Giants will surprise with this combo of Tuck, Pierre Paul, Kiwanuka, and Umenyiora.

Bramel: The Giants have a couple of things going on. They had that “Big” package last year where they took bigger linebackers and put them on the strong side. My first thought is it might be akin to what Terrell Suggs might be doing with the Ravens, but I’m not 100 percent positive on that. Kiawanuka is so versatile Continue reading →

Jene Bramel Part III

0 Comments read Matt Waldman
Jene Bramel (pictured to the right) grew up a Bengals fan. Cartoon by Bearman2007

If you’re an offensive-centric fan of the NFL or you play fantasy football the same way your older brother taught you then you need to read this interview with Jene Bramel.

The Footballguys.com staff writer is one of the best fantasy writers you don’t know about because he is recognized as one of the go-to guys for leagues featuring individual defensive players (IDP). Even if your leagues are strictly offensive players, his knowledge of defenses will make you a better decision maker with offensive talent.

In part III of our conversation, Jene and I use the phrase “crap shoot,” enough to think it’s a PG-13 summer movie, but I promise its only in the context of discussing fantasy football.

Waldman: Why are you such a fan of the defensive side of the football?

Bramel: I think that’s sort of what drew me to football in the first place. Continue reading →