Posts tagged Matt Waldman NFL Draft

Futures: A Trio of Sleepers

February 19, 2014 0 Comments read 2014 NFL Draft, Players, Quarterback, Running Back, Wide Receiver

WR Paul Richardson, RB Tim Flanders, and QB Dustin Vaughan are intriguing players without the big-top pedigree.

Futures: A Trio of Sleepers

by Matt Waldman

According to most fantasy football writers, the term “Sleeper” is dead, buried, and the wake held in its honor featured a stuffed mushroom dish with creamed spinach and Italian breadcrumbs soaked in butter. Considering that many football writers at the wake sported IV drips topped with Crisco, finger food is always underrated.

Sleepers are still alive in the lexicon of “reality football.” Not that this term is somehow more legit than fantasy football.

Why would it be? Reality football has deteriorated into a wild and wooly sub-genre of Reality TV.

Pick a channel or website and there are weekly installments of the NFL’s Dr. Phil and Dr. Laura, only most of them hide in anonymity when dishing their gossip dressed as pop-psychology. Call me when these 20-something prospects finish adolescence.

On another, there’s the salacious he-said-he-said drama between two former Dolphins. Each episode is so popular that Jerry Springer is taking a pounding in the daytime ratings. Those rubber sheets from the investigative report to Commissioner Goodell might come in handy after all.

Reality Football is a five-ring circus of top prospects, current players, media, former players-turned-media, and Twitter all competing for attention. There’s no room for players under the big top who lack the Q Score of the headlining acts.

With the possible exception of Dallas, the actual game of football isn’t played under a circus tent. Once upon a time, even the Cowboys caught some teams sleeping on developmental players like Tony Romo and Miles Austin.

Joique Bell, Marlon Brown, Alfred Morris, Kenbrell Thompkins, and Brian Hoyer are also testaments to the fact that sleepers are alive and well in the NFL. Here are three of mine for the 2014 NFL Draft. Read the rest at Football Outsiders.

The Little Things That Make Sammy Watkins A Big Deal

February 16, 2014 0 Comments read Reads Listens Views

Watkins has the upside to lap the field of some fine receiver prospects when it comes to NFL potential. Photo by PDA.Photo.

The great strength of Sammy Watkins’ game is in the finer details.

If Sammy Watkins didn’t possess excellent hands and speed, he wouldn’t be a top prospect at his position. However, it’s the little things that make Watkins a special prospect.

Weeks ago, I profiled Allen Robinson’s penchant for leaving his feet to catch targets thrown at a height where he could have maintained his feet during the act of the reception. Consistent application of this detail will earn Robinson greater opportunities for yards after the catch.

Robinson is already a fine ball carrier, but even at 6’3″, 210-215 pounds, he’s better at avoiding defenders than he is running through tackles. This is based on watching Robinson at Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Central Florida, and Nebraska).

Attention to detail is an essential reason why Watkins is ahead of the rest of his draft classmates. The Clemson receiver is like a jazz musician playing in a pop band – few appreciate every nuance because the knowledge often requires hours of study or an enormous intuitive feel for the game to get beyond the environment of the performance to see everything that makes him special.

I’m sharing two plays that provide glimpses into what makes him special, but some miss because they either haven’t seen enough snaps of Watkins or they are too chained to the Clemson scheme to see the skills that transcend it.

The first is a classic case of great process, bad result. I love sharing these plays, because they underscore my belief that behavior is more reliable than the outcome.

The second is a case of great process, great result, and an uncommon play for the Clemson offense. The process also reveals skills that translate to other aspects of Watkins’ game.

Great Process, Bad Result

The play is a 12-personnel, 1×1 receiver set with Watkins as the receiver on the left inside the numbers of the flat. He’s positioned two yards behind the line of scrimmage and the cornerback has outside shade and five yards of depth.

By the way, the Ohio State corner does a fantastic job on this play because he has Watkins one-on-one with no safety help. Here’s the formation pre-snap.

The single safety is at the opposite flat, which is a huge key that Watkins is facing single coverage. Tajh Boyd recognizes this coverage and the opportunity to deliver a quick throw for Watkins to win one-on-one.

However, Boyd’s throw lacks the precision for the situation. Watkins has turned to the quarterback and squared his pads to provide a good target, but Boyd leads the receiver too far into the teeth of the oncoming defender.

Watkins doesn’t react the way I see from countless receivers that I watch in these situations where the ball is thrown above chest-level. The receiver extends his arms away from his body and attacks the ball, but he does not leave his feet.

Watkins also frames his body so his pads and hips are down field and the ball ahead of him. Screen after screen in this game, this receiver gets into this position before catching the ball.

I never see this kind of attention to detail on a screen or throw-out that is one of the simplest routes to execute for a receiver. Moreover, Watkins’ approach is extraordinarily consistent.

Despite the impending contact, Watkins stays true to his process. He understands it gives him the best chance to win the match-up and at worst, prevent a bad outcome.

Watkins’ technique places the receiver in position to make the catch, secure the ball to his sideline arm, and extend his free arm to attack the defender with good pad level and leverage despite the defender’s advantage.

There’s no way Watkins has a chance to contest this hit if not for his pre-catch attention to detail. As the contact collapses Watkins stiff arm, the receiver’s arm and pad level is like a shock absorber.

Watkins has enough balance and leverage to turn sideways through the contact. With the ball high and tight to the outside arm, the receiver withstands the corner’s attempt to rip the ball loose.

All of this sound technique is the reason Watkins is able to absorb the contact, push back and force the defender to the ground. If Watkins doesn’t collide knees with the defender, I believe he runs through the contact up the left flat.

The corner does everything right on this play to win the match-up, but Watkins’ fundamentals make it a win by the slimmest of margins. Don’t be surprised if you see Watkins win some of these plays in the NFL – and win big.

Great Process, Great Result

Watkins’ critics say that the receiver only runs screen plays and he’ll need the right scheme to thrive in the NFL the way he thrives in college football. This statement implies that all he can do well is run screen plays or zone routes.

Here’s a single coverage route – one of the prettiest examples of route running I see in college football.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWDwGTmMypk&start=148&w=560&h=315]

The initial release is patient and a straight line into the body of the defender with good pacing that remains constant throughout the route. One of the things that made Jerry Rice a great route runner was not only the fact that every route looked the same in terms of maintaining a straight line with every release, but also a consistent pace.

Varying speed can be a useful tool, but it’s an attempt to lull an opponent into a lapse of focus. Maintaining a constant speed puts the opponent in a constant state of discomfort.

This straight stem is 12-yards long and the top of the stem features a dip inside with the head turned and then a fantastic head fake outside-inside leading to a second jab-step inside and use of the shoulders that forces the corner to turn his hips. This sequence of moves are all performed without any variance in pace – difficult to do.

By the time Watkins breaks to the corner, he has left the corner in the dust. All of these qualities are performed with the same efficiency I see as a ball carrier – patience, pacing, and layers of moves.

It’s not an indicator of good route running with many receivers, but it’s behavior consistent with Watkins across all aspects of his game.

For analysis of skill players in this year’s draft class, download the 2014 Rookie Scouting Portfolio available April 1. Better yet, if you’re a fantasy owner the 56-page Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2014 RSP at no additional charge and available for download within a week after the NFL Draft. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 apiece.

Futures: Louisville S Calvin Pryor

February 12, 2014 0 Comments read 2014 NFL Draft, Players

What does this two-time All-Pro have in common with Calvin Pryor. Ask their DB coach. Photo by Dave Blog. — What does this two-time All-Pro have in common with Calvin Pryor? Ask their DB coach. Photo by Dave Blog.

When it’s all said and done, Teddy Bridgewater might not be the best Louisville player in this draft.

Futures: Louisville S Calvin Pryor

By Matt Waldman

One of my favorite football players during the past 15 years began his college career as a corner, but finished it playing both safety positions and earned a first-team All-America selection. The 39th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, he started all 16 games a rookie. Although he lost the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award to teammate Brian Urlacher, the linebacker often said that it was Mike Brown who was the true leader of the Bears’ vaunted defense.

Brown will turn 36 tomorrow. Due to a series of leg injuries, the two-time All-Pro didn’t have career longevity that will earn his former teammate Urlacher a good shot at the Hall of Fame. However, Brown had all the tools of a fine NFL pro: intensity, intelligence, and the versatility to play in the box or patrol the deepest outposts of the passing game.

So when a player earns a comparison to Brown, it gets my attention. Current Texas defensive coordinator Vance Bedford was Brown’s position coach from 2000-2004. Before Bedford moved with Charlie Strong to Austin, he was the defensive coordinator at Louisville working with junior safety Calvin Pryor, a player Bedford compares favorably to the former Bear.

“He had three games in a row where he hit somebody and they did not finish the game,” Bedford told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “He doesn’t want to injury anybody, but he brings a certain physicality that if you’re going to throw the ball down the middle of the field, you’re going to pay a price . . . Calvin Pryor reminds me of a bigger Mike Brown . . . [Brown] was a coach on the field . . . That’s what makes great players. Understanding the entire defense. Calvin Pryor is a lot like that.”

I read this quote from Bradford after watching the six-foot-two-inch Pryor against Central Florida, Rutgers, and Connecticut. A colleague of mine recommended I watch Pryor in September and I’m late to the draftnik party. However, I understand why there are teams that have Pryor ranked higher than Alabama’s Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.

The asset I value the most from Pryor’s game is aggression. He treads the fine line between disruption and recklessness, which can scare some evaluators.

However, good safeties take great angles in a hurry. It’s a skill rooted in confidence and belief of what the player sees on the field.

With notable exceptions where a player demonstrates a lack of overall football intelligence, I prefer an aggressive player with diagnostic skills that a coach can refine than a player that sees valuable keys but doesn’t trust his eyes. When considering the past path towards assertive play, I’d pick aggression over passivity as a football player’s behavioral baseline a majority of the time.

Read the rest at Football Outsiders

RSP Rorschach No.3: Cornell QB Jeff Mathews

February 11, 2014 0 Comments read Matt Waldman

Thrown too early or thrown too late? See below.

Some plays are like Rorschach inkblots because there’s no definitive answer to why they unfold the way they do. This new series examines plays that have more than one viable explanation and may be too difficult to draw a single conclusion. The fun part is that you have a voice in it.

RSP Rorschach No.3: Cornell QB Jeff Mathews

This is 3rd-and-14 pass with 6:25 in the first quarter. The Cornell offense is in a 10 personnel shotgun set at the 24 with the ball at the right hash versus a 3-3-5 defensive look from Princeton. The offense faces a five-man blitz – three defenders coming from the left and two up the middle. The defensive end over right tackle is dropping to the right flat.

Princeton plays an aggressive defense that varies looks (nickel, 3-3-5, 2-4-6, and 3-4 looks) and blitz types all day. There is lots of A-gap pressure, layered blitzes to the same gap with two defenders coming in waves, and lineman dropping into coverage as slot defenders fire off the edge.

It’s the kind of pressure that forces a quarterback to play decisive football, which leads to the question about this pass attempt. Mathews drops from the shotgun looking to the middle, sets his feet, and throws the ball up the seam from the 29 to the slot-right receiver up the seam tot he end zone.

The quarterback over throws the receiver by four yards. The commentator tells the audience during the replay that Mathews was too early with his throw because of the pressure forcing the quarterback to rush the throw.

But is the commentator correct? Could Mathews have waited too long and been forced to lob the ball into a spot that could have been avoided with an earlier release?

See below.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnpFHmHy66I&start=106&w=560&h=315]

There’s no doubt that Mathews throws the ball with air under it but there’s no real arc. It looks more like the trajectory of a fade route where the quarterback expects the receiver to high-point the ball.

It’s good touch for a fade but that is not what this play calls for. While the throw being “long” is often an indication that the throw was too early, this is an intermediate-range pass.

Look at Mathews’ drop and it appears that he waits a tick late before making the decision to throw the ball. If the throws the ball in rhythm, the quarterback would have released the ball earlier and thrown the ball on a line to the inside of the receiver.

Instead, the quarterback waits a tick and lofts the ball so it clears the safety, who otherwise might not have been in range if quarterback threw the ball the moment his back foot hit the ground at the conclusion of the drop. The question is which theory do you buy?

Throw the ball earlier and with velocity on a line drive trajectory and the pass threads the needle of the secondary inside the five and the receiver trots into the end zone? Or, as the commentator noted, the pass rush forced a rushed throw and it arrived too early?

[polldaddy poll=7792661]

As always, you may comment below if you have a different take.

Reads Listens Views 2/7/2014

February 7, 2014 0 Comments read Reads Listens Views

This Week’s RLV: Driving Blind, Mr. Clean, Talent On The Fringe, The Price Of Free, And Militant Frogs

Views – “Driving Blind” A Film By Brian James Griffo

[vimeo 49946741 w=500 h=281]

Brian James Griffo asked me to check out his trailer and tell everyone that proceeds from the movie (rent for $4.99/buy for $8.99) are going to research. I’ll be If you’ve done a road trip to see the country or a country that lasts more than 10 days then you know how life-changing these adventures can be. I did one 21 years ago across the U.S. in a van. It was one of the great experiences of my life.

I haven’t seen the full movie, but I just bought it based on what I’ve seen and what I gained from my road trip. Learn more here.

Listens – Brad Mehldau

[youtube=http://youtu.be/cnH27mxW0KM]

Welcome

If you’re new to the Rookie Scouting Portfolio blog, welcome. Every Friday, I post links to things I’m checking out when I’m online. You may not like everything listed here, but you’re bound to like something. It’s also my chance to thank you for reading my work and encourage you to follow the RSP blog and buy the Rookie Scouting Portfolio publication.

For those of you new to the Rookie Scouting Portfolio, the publication is available every April 1. You can learn more about the RSP here. If you want to see samples of the play-by-play notes I take to write the analysis, you can find them here. And to download past versions of the publication (2006-2012), go here.

This month through February 10, I’m offering an early bird discount to those who pre-order the RSP. For those of you calendar challenged like me, that’s this Monday . . .

In addition to the RSP and the post-draft publication that comes with it a week after the NFL Draft, 10 percent of each sale is donated to Darkness to Light. This organization is a non-profit devoted to preventing and addressing sexual abuse through community training in schools, religious groups, and a variety of civic groups across the U.S.

Here is what the RSP donated to D2L this year. According to D2L, the RSP’s 2013 donation amount was enough to train 250 adults in communities across the country.

In Case You Missed It/What’s Ahead at The RSP Blog

Sorry, but there aren't any "Steve Smith's" in this 2014 Draft Class. Photo by PDA Photo — Sorry, but there aren’t any “Steve Smith’s” in this 2014 Draft Class. Photo by PDA Photo

Talents On The Fringe: RB Shakir Bell – Every draft has a handful of players where the talent is there, but they don’t register on the draft media’s radar. Bell is one of them. Find out why.
Futures: WR Brandin Cooks vs. CB Ifo Ekpre-Olumu – Cooks is getting a lot of love, but I think this match up provides some sobering critiques of a good prospect who doesn’t deserve the Steve Smith comparisons at this time. And if you’re a fan of defenese, Ekpre-Olumu deserves your attention. This article is just as much about him as it is Cooks.
Six Plays That Make Me A Fan Of WR Odell Beckham’s Game – A lot of Tweets from people telling me Beckham is their No.2 WR in their class. Some comp him to Antonio Brown. I’m more inclined to say Greg Jennings-Isaac Bruce-Tim Brown. Stylistically, all four have enough similarities that it’s not a major debate.
Boiler Room: QB Johnny Manziel And Why I Think Of Ali – Manziel isn’t as haphazard a player and reckless as you think. His techniques are unique, but they are techniques. It was the same with boxing legend Muhammad Ali. Learn about the parallels between them.
Coming Soon: No-Huddle Series: Cal TE Richard Rodgers- Lots of promise, but can he fulfill it?
Coming Soon: WR Kelvin Benjamin Analysis – I haven’t decided whether this will be a Futures column or analysis entirely on this blog. Stay tuned.
Coming Soon: RB Kapri Bibbs and the difference between “college good” and “NFL good.”
Coming Soon RSPWP3 – There won’t be a draft this year, but the team building/management angle will be a compelling exercise for our participants.

Reads (Football)

Is Bridgewater a Bill O’Brien QB? – Nick Page at Draft Breakdown provides his take with accompanying visual evidence.
The Price of Free – Patrick Hruby at Sports On Earth provides his counter argument to the “But they’re getting a free education” stance for college football players.
Packers News Profile Of Seattle GM John Schneider – Good piece. Sigmund Bloom likes to tell me that the Seahawks and Patriots like the same players I like and it’s as if they read the RSP.
Which Teams Have The Tallest And Shortest Targets – Chase Stuart, the macho version of Carrie Bradshaw, provides another fine take on the NFL.
Alan Faneca Drops 110 lbs., Runs Marathon – I enjoy seeing these former linemen get into post-football athletic shape and move forward in life.

Reads (Non-Football)

India Declares Dolphins Non-Human Persons – To many Americans, India is the Ornette Coleman of nations. It’s too uncomfortable for many to understand with their rooted way of thinking. But once you let go a little bit and free your mind, there’s immense beauty, culture, love, and power that lies within. I like this step. Of course, I’m a Coleman fan, too. (Author’s Note: Points two fingers at eyes and then points fingers to Cecil Lammey: “Asterisk Lammey . . . asterisk”)
The Right Way To Hug A Lion – On the other hand . . .
Real Madrid’s Marcelo And Son Racially Abused By Atletico Madrid Fans – I understand that majority of soccer fans aren’t engaged in this heinous type of behavior. However, the minority who are acting this deplorably appear to be much larger in population than the nuts we get in stadiums like Cleveland, Oakland, Philadelphia, New York, and every other venue.
Why Young Sexual Assault Victims Tell Incoherent Stories – And why their attackers count on it.
New York Cops Break 10-Year-Old Kid’s Leg, Sexually Assault Mother, Lawsuit Claims – Kid says, “I told my mom being a detective would be cool . . . I want to be a better detective than the one who did this.”

Views – Sony World Photography Awards

Click the link above for the rest – Photo above by Nicolas Reusens.

Listens – “Mr. Clean”

[youtube=http://youtu.be/89kZOESeims]

A Freddie Hubbard tune performed by Roy Hargrove and company. I’ve been listening to this version on constant rotation in my car all week.

Six Plays That Make Me A Fan Of WR Odell Beckham’s Game

February 4, 2014 0 Comments read 2014 NFL Draft, Players, Wide Receiver

Odell Beckham's versatility isn't just about his special teams play. Photo by Crawford Orthodontics. — Odell Beckham’s versatility isn’t just about his special teams play. Photo by Crawford Orthodontics.

Some schools are known for producing good athletes whose games don’t translate to the NFL. LSU’s Beckham doesn’t fit that pattern.

Craig “Buster” Davis. Devery Henderson. Early Doucet. Brandon LaFell. Terrence Tolliver. These five receivers were good college players at LSU who failed to develop into productive starters that an NFL team feels it’s “set” at that spot in its lineup. Dwayne Bowe (and it was shaky for a bit) and Rueben Randle are the two exceptions in recent years.

Despite the fact that LSU has a history of recruiting great athletes whose physical skills tempt scouts and NFL personnel directors into selecting them only to earn a lower return on investment than they hoped, it’s never a good idea to write off a program or a group of players based on this recent trend. Every player is different – even if the trend seems to be strong.

It’s important to examine each player as an individual and not let past players from that program influence the decision-making process. Otherwise, evaluators can fall into the trap of following the back end of trends, which is a lot like following the back-end of a horse.

LSU’s starting receivers are two prospects that I like this year – especially Odell Beckham. The 6’0″, 187-pound junior may lack the prototypical height and weight of an NFL primary receiver, but he plays big and he’s versatile. Here are six plays that do a good job highlighting Beckham’s game at this stage of his career.

No.1 – Beckham Is A Football Player First, Receiver Second.

If I was a head coach, personnel director, general manager, or owner of a team, one of the first qualities I would demand of my players is a comfort level with physical play. Julius Thomas is a physical freak at eight end, but his reputation – fair or not – is that he doesn’t respond well to physical play. On the other hand, Hines Ward was a Timex.

I haven’t seen Beckham make or take any Ward-like hits, but a running theme throughout his game is the willingness to engage in the physical side of the game. Here’s the first play of the LSU-TCU game. Beckham is at the top of the formation between the left hash and left flat with the cornerback playing a yard off on this run play to the receiver’s side.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_M52KgXSJ8&start=01&w=560&h=315]

The fact that LSU is comfortable running to Beckham’s side in a 21 personnel 1×1 receivers set is a testament to Beckham as a run blocker. Beckham delivers an excellent punch with good hand placement. He integrates his hand use and leg drive to shove his opponent off the line of scrimmage.

It’s not a perfect block – Beckham over-extends his form during the block and allows the cornerback to turn outside and get up field. The receiver manages to counter with a shove that prevents the defensive back from reaching the runner.

If a player is going to make an error in the run game, I’d rather him be too eager to get physical than not eager enough. Beckham fits the bill.

No.2 – Beckham’s Game Has Layers

A kick or punt return can tell an evaluator a lot about a player’s style as a ball carrier. This return against TCU with 13:26 in the half tells me that Beckham’s running style is confident, intelligent, agile, explosive, and physical.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_M52KgXSJ8&start=155&w=560&h=315]

Beckham takes this kick seven yards deep in the end zone. The fact that there’s no hesitation about running this out is a positive. He’s confident in what he sees as well as his ability to execute.

I like that he sets up his first move by bending the run inside the right hash to the five to set up the wall of three blockers ahead. This is much like a running back pressing and cutting back. Beckham’s cut back is sharp enough to get outside the wall and force the unblocked defender coming up the sideline to take a bad angle.

Beckham then layers moves to get outside a defender coming over top at the 20. First, it’s a hop-step inside and followed with a break to the outside. These moves get Beckham to the 20 and then to the 25.

The receiver throws another combination of moves into the run, executing a stutter-step to set up a swat of the inside pursuit with this left arm that takes the defender to the ground. Like the block, Beckham is the player attacking and not being attacked. He finishes the play lowering his pads into a defender and continues forward another three yards.

Beckham’s ability to layer confidence, savvy, agility, and physicality into his game makes him the type of player I can use all over the field: the end-around, screens, special teams, and traditional timing routes.

No.3 – Patience and Explosion

This is a simple-looking post route that Beckham catches for a 42-yard gain against TCU on 1st and 10 with 0:16 in the first quarter as the outside twin man on a strong side twin I formation set. Both receivers are running posts on this play.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_M52KgXSJ8&start=125&w=560&h=315]

What I like about his play is Beckham’s patience. Watch the replay and you’ll see that he runs a long stem and continues his trajectory towards the cornerback. There’s no real set-up with movement to try to get the defender to bite. Beckham knows this corner is patient and not biting because he’s playing six yards off with no safety help.

The receiver maintains his path that will eventually force the defender to give up the inside or collide with Beckham. Late in the stem, the defender blinks just enough for Beckham to break inside.

This straight path that Beckham takes a nice sign of good speed that he can run a true linear route and earn separation without a head fake, stutter or dip. If not for an under-thrown ball, Beckham had the separation to run under this pass for a touchdown.

Beckham has to wait on the ball, but he still manages to make the catch with his hands and maintain possession with the corner wrapped around his waist. Winning against tight coverage is also a recurring theme for Beckham – another sign that he’s comfortable with physical play.

No.4 – Attacking Early

The last play was a good example of Beckham displaying patience as a route runner. This play illustrates that Beckham can win early and do so with an integration of physicality and agility. This is a 1st and 10 with 8:39 in the half from a 21-personnel, 1×1 receiver I-formation set at the 45 of LSU. The TCU cornerback is a yard of the line of scrimmage. Beckham is a yard behind the line in the left flat between the hash and the numbers.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_M52KgXSJ8&start=178&w=560&h=315]

When a receiver lines up 3-4 yards behind the line of scrimmage on a consistent basis, it’s a good indication that the offense is trying to prevent that player from getting pressed because they don’t have confidence in his skills to win early. Beckham is just a yard off the line and he uses that space to dictate the action.

He executes a strong stutter-step and pairs it with his outside arm to rip past the corner back, earning two yards of separation on the man within the first five yards of the release from the line of scrimmage. That’s a lot of space for a receiver to earn this early in a route. Austin Collie was fantastic at doing this at BYU and before his rash of injuries with the Colts.

I bet Beckham will display similar initial quickness and more top-end speed. On this play, the receiver is wide open but quarterback Zach Mettenberger once again under-throws the target.

The pass is a 49-yard throw from pitch to catch, but needed to be 50-52 yards in length for Beckham to run under it with his back to the defender. Instead, Beckham has to wait on the ball, the corner back recovers, and Beckham loses concentration, trying to turn up field before he has fully secured the target.

The ball bounces off Beckham’s hands, and the corner arrives just in time to pry the receiver’s arms away from any second-effort attempt. The end result is a negative, but I’ve seen enough plays where Beckham makes these types of catches – including more difficult ones – that it doesn’t outstrip the positive of this wide receiver’s skill to earn separation early in a route.

A play like this tells me that Beckham can help a team in a short timing game with heavy west coast principles or a vertical game that relies on a lot of play action. His versatility as a receiver is just as important as his versatility as a football player.

No.5 – Playing Big

Earlier this year, I profiled Jordy Nelson’s ability to frame separation with a defensive back. Beckham flashes similar technique on this 2nd-and-11 pass with 2:36 in the half from a 1×1 receiver, 21 personnel I-formation set as the single receiver on the left side. Once again he’s a yard behind the line of scrimmage with the cornerback playing three yards off with outside shade.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_M52KgXSJ8&start=240&w=560&h=315]

At the top of his stem, Beckham takes a hard step into the body of the defender, frames separation with his hands, and then makes a quick break outside. I love how he comes back to the ball, attacking the target with a leaping catch at the sideline while the defender wraps him.

The hand strength to maintain possession on this play is impressive as is keeping both feet in bounds. This is an example why the dropped-post pattern is a “concentration drop.” Too many of these, and it’s a problematic thing for a receiver’s evaluation. However, in the context of what else I’ve seen – like this play – it’s not a concern.

No.6 – Varying The Storyline

In this game alone Beckham has attacked early, remained patient and kept it simple, and attacked late. This route is an example of Beckham using yet another press technique on a route further highlights his athleticism and concentration: the fade-stop.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_M52KgXSJ8&start=490&w=560&h=315]

Beckham is the single receiver at the numbers of the left side of the field facing a cornerback playing four yards off with inside shade and a safety 10 yards deep and just inside the left hash. I like the swim move to break outside and get an early step on the cornerback, baiting the defender to consider a deeper route before breaking back to the ball.

Beckham once again makes the reception after sustaining some contact from the defender. Like Greg Jennings, Isaac Bruce, or Tim Brown, Beckham is an average-size receiver who possesses the athleticism, toughness, technique, and savvy to play bigger than his measurements.

It’s why he’s a favorite of mine in this draft class even if his alumni haven’t shined as brightly in the NFL as some anticipated.

For analysis of skill players in this year’s draft class, download the 2014 Rookie Scouting Portfolio.The 2014 RSP will available April 1 and if you pre-order before February 10, you get a 10 percent discount. Better yet, if you’re a fantasy owner the 56-page Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 – 2014 RSPs at no additional charge and available for download within a week after the NFL Draft. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 apiece.

Boiler Room: QB Johnny Manziel and Why I Think of Ali

February 2, 2014 0 Comments read 2014 NFL Draft, Players, Quarterback, RSP Boiler Room Videos (Short Form)

How does Johnny Manziel as a quarterback compare to Ali as a boxer? Photo by Cliff1066 — How does Johnny Manziel’s technique as a quarterback compare to Ali as a boxer? Photo by Cliff1066

Manziel isn’t as haphazard and reckless as you think. The question is will the quarterback’s style become haphazard and reckless at the elevated level of pro football?

The Boiler Room Series is my attempt to capture the state of an NFL prospect’s development into a single play. This is an impossible task, but what if you have a limited number of plays to state your case about a prospect to the leadership team within your organization? If you’ve researched enough about this player, a cut-up of choice plays with a short presentation can provide a decent assessment of strengths, weaknesses, and potential fit for the team. You can read the rest of my Boiler Room Series here.

I have already performed an extensive analysis of Johnny Manziel’s game in a Futures column this fall, but the Aggie’s starter is one of the more intriguing players I have studied in nine years. Sigmund Bloom’s parallel between Manziel and a boxer fits. I’ll even put a name to the parallel that Bloom didn’t, because there are similarities of unique, unorthodox technique: Muhammad Ali.

Jack Slack’s analysis of Ali’s boxing technique at Bloody Elbow is worth a read if you’re a fan of the sweet science. Slack breaks down the way Ali would maintain techniques that were difficult for opponents to prepare for such as using an upright posture, backing straight away from punches, employing the inside slip, and throwing the odd-angled “Anchor Punch” that lacked leverage, but had perfect timing.

Ali was great at using his athleticism to sucker opponents into his world and then sending them out the door on their backsides. I see these similarities when I watch Manziel. The A&M quarterback has a more powerful arm than people think, he’s more careful with the football than his reputation, and he has moments of inspired intuition and creativity that comes off footwork and pocket movement that does not fit the conventional NFL standards for good quarterbacking mechanics.

It’s Manziel’s legs, and not his arm, that are the pivotal part of his game. The quarterback’s unusual footwork and pocket movement has been fantastic in the college game, but many football analysts will stay in the box and label Manziel’s mechanics as undisciplined, scattered, and inconsistent.

If he fails to produce in the NFL, Manziel will be written off as a player whose style is too wild and unruly to work in the NFL. If he succeeds, analysts will say that Manziel is one of those exceptional players scattered throughout NFL history “who does everything wrong, but it works.”

Can Manziel maintain his style of play and perform at an elevated level? This is the question any person maintaining an open mind on Manziel must ask.

In honor of Johnny Rotten’s rule-breaking persona, this week’s Boiler Room will break the rule of examining one play and opt for three. If Manziel is to become that exception to the NFL rule, then these three plays are an example of what he’ll have to prove he can do on a consistent basis. If he can’t, the Aggies quarterback will either have to tone down his style or he’ll scramble his way into clipboard duty.

Upright Carriage, Loose Hands

Picture Ali dancing around his opponent firing shots from odd angles with his hands at his waist and this is what I see with Manziel maneuvering the pocket. As a fan of good technique, Manziel looks like a strip-sack waiting to happen in the NFL. If pro football box scores were animate objects, they’d be at the table with the napkin and dinnerware at the ready and drooling onto the tablecloth.

This 3rd and 14 with 10:23 in the half from a 1×4 receiver empty set is a perfect example of what Manziel does well at the college level that flies in the face of NFL convention.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r2zXEXcWgw&start=273&w=560&h=315]

Ole Miss plays a 3-3-5 look with one linebacker in the middle of the field. The others are at the right side near the quads set of receivers at the 21.

Manziel takes a three-step drop looking to the single receiver the left sideline. When the defensive end comes around the right corner, Manziel climbs away from the pressure, still looking to the right.

Even the climb is’t a textbook shuffle of steps designed to keep the quarterback in a balanced position to reset and throw the ball. I have more to watch of Manziel, but thus far I haven’t seen this “lack of technique/unconventional technique (I’m keeping an open mind for now)” cost him.

After Manziel climbs the pocket, he dips inside and in the direction of the linebacker spying the quarterback in the middle of the field. Manziel sets up the linebacker with a good outside-inside move, sidestepping the defender two yards behind the line of scrimmage and earns a huge space it the middle of the field.

Manziel gains 14 yards and the first down and then another 9 before sliding under the safety at the 44. It’s a 23-yard gain and excellent movement in this situation.

But the NFL doesn’t play a lot of 3-3-5 and NFL linemen are collectively bigger, stronger, quicker in small spaces, and better trained than college linemen. Manziel’s ball security is as loose as Ali’s security of his face. The quarterback will have to display otherworldly awareness compared other NFL quarterbacks to avoid a high number of sack-strips if he intends to scramble the same way.

The upright style belies Manziel’s athleticism. It suckers defenders into thinking that he has the marginal quickness, footwork, and ball-carrying savvy of most quarterbacks until they try to tackle him. Still, a high pad level and loose ball security will have opposing NFL defenders changing “fresh fish,” as soon as Manziel enters the Sunday yard. A betting man would hope to make money off Manziel’s punishment, but could this quarterback be Andy Dufresne?

Baiting Defenders In The Pocket

This 3rd-and-seven pass with 9:05 in the half is schoolyard brilliance. A&M is in a 3×2 empty shotgun set versus another 3-3-5 defensive look at the Aggies’ 48. Both safeties are 14-16 yards off the line of scrimmage over the slots.

Ole Miss sends a cornerback off the left edge when Manziel takes the snap and what he does is worth repeat viewing.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r2zXEXcWgw&start=295&w=560&h=315]

As Manziel finishes the last step of a three-step drop, he takes a step to climb the pocket and effectively baits the corner to take a tighter path to the inside. Watch the play a couple of times and it’s easy to think Manziel opted to go one direction, changed his mind in midstream, and was quick enough to execute this change of mind to avoid a sack.

If you believe this was the case, then it’s unlikely Manziel will get away with this tentative decision-making in the NFL. However, if you can follow line of thought that Manziel takes this step to bait the corner before spinning to his left, then this move – and a vast array of moves Manziel displays most weeks – is a planned maneuver that makes the quarterback far less haphazard than many believe.

Regardless of how you see it, Manziel’s movement towards the middle draws the corner tighter to the inside and the quarterback’s spin to the left leaves the defender on the ground without getting a hand on Manziel.

The quarterback then outruns the defensive end to the left edge – the ball hanging loose and low under his right arm as he reaches the flat. Manziel manages to hang onto the ball while beating the end to the line of scrimmage and the linebacker to the first down marker before exiting the boundary.

Was this move a conscious maneuver or a haphazard result of just enough athleticism to run free of college defenders? Can Manziel get away with it in the NFL? For an NFL team engaged in the process of deciding what kind of player they have and how they can work with him, I’d say the questions are more important than the answers at this stage.

Odd-Angle Punches With Perfect Timing

This next play is the genius of Manziel’s game at the college level. It’ a 3rd-and-6 pass with 3:31 in the half from a 2×2 receiver, 10 personnel pistol at the A&M 40 versus another 3-3-5 look with two safeties at 12 yards of depth off the hash marks. Ole Miss covers Manziel’s first two options and how the quarterback handles his third (or really, fourth) option is a display of excellent improvisational awareness.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r2zXEXcWgw&start=344&w=560&h=315]

Manziel takes a two-step drop and looks to the left as he sets his feet. When the out doesn’t break open, he executes turns to the middle and the left in succession to consider the dual crossing routes.

When Manziel sees that Ole Miss has both crossers covered, he slides right and spots his receiver in the right flat. The receiver has continued with his cross from left to right and is now facing the quarterback.

Most quarterbacks would see the open man after look at 3-4 other receivers and would throw the ball towards the chest of the receiver without considering the depth of the route and the location of the first down marker at this late stage of the play. Not Manziel.

The quarterback has the awareness to toss a ball with high arc over the outside shoulder of the receiver. The throw forces the receiver to turn down-field and catch the ball over his shoulder towards the first-down marker. Moreover, Manziel’s placement requires his teammate to turn away from the inside pursuit of the linebacker and towards the sideline.

For a third/fourth read, this is placement and touch with a lot of consideration behind it.

All three plays look like haphazard, undisciplined football to those uninitiated to Manziel’s game. However, a more accurate assessment is that Manziel has an unconventional set of techniques that have yielded great success at the college level. It then raises the pivotal question, can this style carry over to the NFL?

I have until April 1 to watch more tape and form my opinion, but I can say with absolute confidence that Manziel has done enough to keep my mind open.

Futures at Football Outsiders: What’s After Clowney?

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

I think this would be a good tattoo for Jadeveon Clowney. Photo by ToteMoon. — Is there anything left at the defensive end position after Clowney makes his draft impact? Photo by ToteMoon.

by Matt Waldman

Jadeveon Clowney is one of the headliners of the 2014 NFL Draft, but defensive end is not this year’s marquee position. One of the predominant reasons is the current prevalence of the 3-4 scheme in the NFL. A true 4-3 end capable of stopping the run and pressuring the quarterback at an equally high level has always been a rarity. While it’s possible that a team with a 3-4 scheme drafts Clowney and converts him to outside linebacker, the fact that the South Carolina defensive end has the potential to develop into a superstar 4-3 end is enough for him to earn top-five consideration in any draft class.

Remove Jadeveon Clowney from the equation and this class of defensive end prospects is not an exciting one. However, the NFL isn’t comprised solely of superstars. Teams still derive value from players that do one thing well. The popularity of the 3-4 defense, plus 2-to-3 years of development time, could make several of these defensive end prospects valuable contributors.

The names I’ve seen at the top of most draftniks’ lists lack the all-around game required of a 4-3 end. Most of these players will have to make some kind of switch. Some will move from defensive end to outside linebacker, others will become 3-4 ends, and a few might earn a shot at 4-3 defensive tackle. With time, some of these players have the potential to help an NFL defense -– and a few may even blossom into viable 4-3 ends.

This week, I’m not profiling any of the defensive end prospects that I believe an NFL team will convert to outside linebacker. This is strictly a list of potential 4-3 and 3-4 ends. Here are my thoughts on five of these future rookies. One of them is not high on many lists, but he has the potential to develop into a quality 3-4 end.

Read the rest at Football Outsiders

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:

For analysis of skill players in this year’s draft class, download the 2013 Rookie Scouting Portfolio.The 2014 RSP will available April 1 and if you pre-order before February 10, you get a 10 percent discount. Better yet, if you’re a fantasy owner the 56-page Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 – 2014 RSPs at no additional charge and available for download within a week after the NFL Draft. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 apiece.

Boiler Room: Arizona State RB Marion Grice

January 20, 2014 0 Comments read 2014 NFL Draft, Players, RSP Boiler Room Videos (Short Form), Running Back

One of my favorite players in this draft thus far is this 6-0, 204-lb. Sun Devils running back with the vision, balance, and grit to get the most from every play.

A series I started last spring at the RSP blog is The Boiler Room. One of the challenges involved with player analysis is to be succinct with delivering the goods. As the author of an annual tome, I’m often a spectacular failure in this respect.

Even so, I will study a prospect and see a play unfold that does a great job of encapsulating that player’s skills. When I witness these moments, I try to imagine if I would include this play as part of a cut-up of highlights for a draft show at a major network or if I was working for an NFL organization creating cut-ups for a personnel director. Unlike the No-Huddle Series, The Boiler Room is focused on prospects I expect to be drafted, and often before the fourth round.

One of these players is a running back I look forward to watching this week at the Senior Bowl, Arizona State’s Marion Grice. Not the most physically talented player in this class of backs, this 6’0″, 207-lb. runner is savvy, tough, and versatile. I enjoy his game enough that I’m already going to violate my one-highlight rule (shocking I know . . .) and show you two.

The first is a demonstration of Grice’s skills as a receiver on a fade route against a linebacker in tight coverage for a touchdown to tie USC in the second quarter. The Sun Devils’ runner flanks the quarterback on the right side of the shotgun at the 11 with 7:59 in the half. The two tight end alignment forces the outside linebackers to account for these receivers, matching Grice with the middle linebacker – a tough draw for the defense.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Pn5vRoTqIk&start=182&w=560&h=315]

The fact the quarterback even targets Grice on this play is a display of trust in the runner’s skills in the passing game. This is a timing route where Grice must execute his break with one fluid motion. Watch the replay and the timing of this break is late enough in the route so the linebacker has to react first.

This first reaction gives Grice the advantage of “having the last say” with the target – turning his back to the linebacker, extending his arms to the ball, and completing his turn through the linebacker’s coverage to win the pass in bounds. Grice makes it look easy. It’s this prowess versus man coverage in the red zone and intermediate routes that makes Shane Vereen a promising weapon in New England.

At the very least, I expect Grice to earn a roster spot because he’s also a capable return specialist. However, I’m more optimistic that Grice has potential as a long-term contributor as a third-down back based on the strength of his receiving skills and promise as a pass protector.

This week in Mobile and additional tape study should give me enough information to make a judgment on his overall NFL upside. Is Grice’s potential that of a role player or a more frequent contributor in a starting lineup?

Running backs are a dime a dozen and when a player like Grice lacks special athleticism, odds aren’t in his favor of developing into a long-term starter. However, I see flashes of strong balance, second effort running, and smart decision-making that give me some optimism.

This failure of an offensive play on 3rd and 14 with 2:14 in the first quarter is the type of moment few would consider for a highlight reel, but I believe it underscores the skills I mentioned above in addition to a heightened level of vision/awareness of his surroundings as a receiver/runner.

Grice flanks the quarterback’s right side in this 3×1 receiver, 10-personnel shotgun set at the 50 versus a USC defenese with six defenders in the box. This is a swing route to the right flat.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Pn5vRoTqIk&start=99&w=560&h=315]

The difficulty of this target is understated. Although the physical adjustment to make the catch isn’t a difficult one, the placement of the ball forces Grice to catch the ball over his shoulder and maintain his momentum towards a safety screaming into the flat. This is the type of attempt many receivers drop due to a lapse of concentration.

Not Grice, who is fully aware of the safety but makes the catch with good form and still has the agility and timing to make the defender miss and then layer a spin to the inside of the second defender coming from the inside. After layering two moves after the catch, he fights his way though three defenders before tackled at the line of scrimmage.

In the box score or the context of the game, this is not a meaningful play. However, when I’m evaluating talent it’s a great example – one of many I’ve seen – of a player who integrates his physical skills, on-field awareness, and effort.

As I mentioned in my Senior Bowl Preview, I want a better feel for Grice’s speed and acceleration. If he demonstrates enough athleticism – and maybe at 210-215 pounds – he could be an underrated prospect with starter upside.