Posts tagged Marvin Jones

Reads Listens Views 11/30/2012

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Are you a dynasty league owner, or are you looking for a surprise producer at the end of the season in a deep re-draft league? Marvin Jones might be your guy. See below. Photo by John Martinez Pavliga

Thanks

I have great readers. People who send me holiday cards, books, and YouTube videos because they just enjoy the back-and-forth. While I’m not always able to respond in kind or with as much regularity as I’d like, I still want to thank all of you who frequent this blog, email me, and/or purchase the Rookie Scouting Portfolio publication. Two years ago I wondered if the RSP would have a long-term future. I’m far more optimistic than I’ve ever been due to the response to this blog and the 2012 publication. I hope all of you reading this have a good holiday season filled with gifts that come from being around people that you enjoy.

If you’re new to the RSP blog, here’s a series I wrote comparing Bengals receiver Marvin Jones and Jets receiver Stephen Hill.

Listens

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This is one of the most sonically flexible small groups you will ever hear. Think Peyton Manning at the line of scrimmage with a Reggie Wayne, Marvin Harrison, Dallas Clark, Austin Collie, and Edgerrin James all in their prime.

Football and Fantasy Football Reads

  • 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick’s parents can’t believe criticism over their son’s arm tattoos USA Today writer Robert Klemko interviews Kaepernick’s parents after a writer disparaged the quarterback’s tattoos. Personally, I’ll never get a tattoo. I don’t believe in marking my body with ink. However, invoking the quarterback-as-CEO argument against Kaepernick is an out-dated idea. Please look around at our CEOs, congressional representatives, and leaders in academia. They wear the right clothes, have the right hair cut, and project and image of reliability. True, projecting an image is an action and looking like a banker-robot is safe. But athletes aren’t bankers. Unlike bankers, athletes are supposed to take risks. They are supposed to be passionate. They are supposed to deal with tremendous adversity. I don’t want to banker running my offense. I want someone with conviction. To stick with bankers and their politician employees. . . for that matter, everyone. Isn’t it time we apply Ghandi’s Seven Sins to what we think we see in them?
    • Wealth without Work
    • Pleasure without Conscience
    • Science without Humanity
    • Knowledge without Character
    • Politics without Principle
    • Commerce without Morality
    • Worship without Sacrifice
  • A Former Player’s Perspective on the Rookie Wall Ryan Riddle offers another fantastic take on a the behind the scenes realities of the NFL.
  • Zach Law’s Interview of Mike MacGregor at Fantasy Throwdown If there were an underrated fantasy football resource in the industry, MacGregor is that guy. I wouldn’t be doing this today if it weren’t for him.

Non-Football Reads

Views

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I’ll be talking about Wheaton soon. Those of you draft analysts on Twitter who predicted I’d like Wheaton were correct.

Training Camp News and Notes 8/9/2012

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Bill Belichick spotted kissing Aaron Hernandez’s elbow after a “boo-boo?” With those detailed road maps, the TE’s elbow wasn’t hard to find. That, and more substantive info from Bob Henry’s Training Camp Update at Footballguys.com Photo by Jeffery Beall.

With the help of numerous Footballguys.com writers, Bob Henry creates a weekly aggregation of camp news titled (simply enough) Training Camp Update. I can’t recommend it highly enough. The first issue is free to the public.

I’m going to quote some of the notes and provide my own take.

Carolina Panthers FB Mike Tolbert: Why I want to see All-22 analysis of Carolina this year. Continue reading →

WRs Stephen Hill and Marvin Jones: Managing Physical Play (Short)

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Marvin Jones can tell a story that keeps cornerbacks guessing because he has harnessed his physical talents. Photo by John Martinez Pavliga.

Greatness lies not in being strong, but in the right use of strength.

– Henry Ward Beecher

Georgia Tech wide receiver Stephen Hill is tall, fast, and has a frame that will likely support another 10-15 pounds of muscle without sacrificing his 4.36-40 speed. Cal wide receiver Marvin Jones is a shade under 6’2″ and 200 pounds and he appears to have the type of physique that wouldn’t add weight if he injected liquified Crisco with an IV. Yet if I were building a team from scratch and you asked me which receiver I’d rather have catching passes from my quarterback, at this moment I’d take Jones despite the fact Hill’s physical skills are uncommon.

I understand that Hill has a higher ceiling of potential than Jones and this makes his draft stock more valuable. If I have a stronger team with a veteran that I know will help Hill become all the player he can be then I’d consider pulling the trigger. However, Jones is likely a draft day bargain.Therefore, if my team needed a receiver that could play both the “x,” and the “z,” I’d take my chances with Jones later.

The reason is how each player harnesses his strength, speed, agility, and hand-eye coordination to manage physical play. The frequency and intensity of physical play is the greatest difference between the college and pro game for a wide receiver. Hill and Jones have the talent to thrive in the NFL, Continue reading →

Reads, Listens, Views 1/27/12

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The RSP Caption Contest Winner is….

Having to play catch up. I thought I’d have it later in the day but I changed this entry to reflect the entry I made later about readers voting on it.

Views

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Marvin Jones Highlights from 2010 (Hat tip to ninersnation.com for mentioning my blog and finding this highlight package). What you’ll find here are strong examples of body control, hand-eye coordination, patience and toughness (not necessarily power) as a runner, and good speed and quickness. I also think you’ll see some of the light-footed precision as a route runner.

Reads

Jene Bramel’s list of Senior Bowl participants with Scheme Versatility.

Wes Bunting’s Senior Bowl Stockwatch and the Senior Bowl’s Top 10 Prospects.

Josh Norris’ Senior Bowl Report of the offense.

The most popular books bought by Smart Football readers.

Listens

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John Abercrombie trio “Bo Diddy”

Senior Bowl Day Three Observations

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Lennon Creer's pass protection had some bright moments today during his first day of Senior Bowl practice as Clemson FB Chad Diehl's replacement. Photo by Westside Shooter.

Wide Receivers

Marvin Jones, Cal: The North receivers ran a variation of a four-cone drill that ended with a pass thrown after the final turn among these four cones and then cut between a narrow alley between two cones. After Marvin McNutt felt his way through the cones at 3/4 speed, Jones breezed through the cones as fast as any receiver participating in the drill – on the first try. He’s a light-footed runner with strong change of direction and his technique was on display drill after drill at the beginning of practice Coach Stewart approached Jones and told him “excellent job today, Jones.”

Stewart said it loud enough from the 30 yard line to Jones at the 15 that I could hear the coach 28 rows up from the end zone. Later in practice, Continue reading →

RSP Cutting Room Floor: College RB and WR Notes

0 Comments read Players, Running Back, Wide Receiver
Jarrett Boykin has NFL athleticism but the Hokie offense didn't demand him to develop NFL receiver skills. Photo by Gary Cope.

If you haven’t noticed, the RSP blog is often my catchall area to write about anything I can relate to football. Nonetheless, rookie evaluation is still far and away the headliner. With the regular NFL season in the books I’ve ramped up my film study of college players. Here’s a few odds and ends about several players I’ve watched recently. For much more in-depth analysis, get the Rookie Scouting Portfolio publication available April 1.

Western Kentucky RB Bobby Rainey is the best running back prospect you’ve never heard of. Continue reading →