Posts tagged RSP Writers Project

Reads Listens Views 8/3/2012

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Falcons receiver Julio Jones is a world-class physical talent as a football player. However, until he can make the plays you see in the video above, he’s still playing a “B-game.” Jones is a good player with flashes of excellence and this is the component of his craft to monitor in order to see if he takes the next step in 2012.

This Weekend

If Texas receiver Marquise Goodwin learns how to consistently gain and maintain position like he does on this catch, he has a future as a vertical threat in the NFL. Learn more from Sterling Sharpe in the link to a coaching video below. Photo by Aaronisnotcool.

More on the craft of gaining separation from the line of scrimmage, with a play-by-play example of Texas speedster Marquise Goodwin.

Coming Soon: Cecil Lammey Q&A

Finally, Lammey and I had a chance to spend an hour with a digital recorder running. The newly syndicated host of “Riding Shotgun” is an aficionado of cattle roping, boars, and running backs. I’ll let him tell you about the chaps – I’m still getting treatment for post traumatic stress disorder. Expect to see this posted at the eve of the regular season.

New Project on the Horizon: NSFW Week

Watch out now, I’m about to let it fly. Details below.

If you listen to The Thursday Night Audible Roundtable, I sometimes let my irreverent side out for a walk (with a choke collar and a sturdy leash). Somtimes I also do it here.  I don’t know when, and I’m not sure what form it will take just yet, but I have a feeling sometime this fall, I’m going to have a “Wildman Uncensored: Not Safe For Work Week at the RSP.”

Pretty much anything and everything I wouldn’t share and laying it down unfiltered. I’ll provide Continue reading →

RSP Writers Project Q&A: Chase Stuart, Footballguys, Football Perspective, and Pro Football Reference

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Can Peyton Manning add years to Anquan Boldin’s career? Chase Stuart hopes so. Find out more about his RSP Writers team below. Photo by Michael Wifall.

Chase Stuart took an aggressive, offensive approach to the Rookie Scouting Portfolio Writers Project, spending $93.5 million of his $150 million salary cap on his offense. Can’t say I blame him. He has a nice mix of young skill talent and veteran grit and his dollar cost averaging for his offensive line could pay off.

Although his defense has some clear weaknesses, he also has talented players that should do a good job of playing aggressive football when Stuart’s team has a lead. If this team gets behind early it could be problematic, but I can see how this offense is set up for this team to go 10-6, even in a tough division.

Learn more about Stuart’s team below as the writer at Footballguys.com, Pro Football Reference, and (his new blog) Football Perspective provides an engaging take on the RSP Writers Project. Continue reading →

RSP Writers Project: Chase Stuart, Footballguys, Football Perspective, and Pro Football Reference

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Chase Stuart spent $93.5 million of his $150 million camp on offense. By those standards, Peyton Manning was a bargain. Photo by Jeffrey Beall.

Chase Stuart is probably what my dad envisioned when he had his first son back in 1970: a Manhattan lawyer with a proclivity for stats and history. Well Pops, one out of three ain’t bad – in baseball. Of course, his third try was the charm: my little brother is a Columbia grad student earning his master’s in statistics. But lets’ get back to Stuart and his aggressive offensive mentality you’re about to see below.

At Footballguys.com, Stuart writes a popular series called “Player Points,” which I think always has a great takeaway worth remembering about a player. He also blogs for the venerable Pro Football Reference site that has earned kudos from some of the top football journalists around. And recently, Stuart created his own excellent blog, Football Perspective.

Because Stuart has everything going for him, I have to try (note the word “try”) to knock this Jets fan down a peg with the observation that his team philosophically looks a lot like the 2012 New England Patriots or Colts of the Manning era. Continue reading →

RSP Writers Q&A: Sam Monson, Pro Football Focus

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When you can turn “Gronk” and Gates (twice) into “Gunk,” you can have strong safety Tyvon Branch’s swagger. Sam Monson explains why Branch is the only hybrid stopper in the NFL. Photo by Jeffery Beall.

I was raised on cornerbacks Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield playing bump and run in Cleveland. It was a big reason why I wanted Darrelle Revis and added some young, promising corners with man coverage skill to my squad. I have a brother-in-arms in that department with Sam Monson. The Pro Football Focus writer unveiled his RSP Writers team yesterday and if you appreciate the skill of man coverage, you’re going to love what he did.

I probably asked Monson more follow up questions than any writer thus far, including a mini-discussion about studying the game from a statistical perspective versus one of technique. I couldn’t agree with his answer more. We lead off with that question, using Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate as the starting point for this stats vs. technique discussion. Continue reading →

RSP Writers Project: Matt Miller’s Roster – Bleacher Report

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Matt Miller’s cornerstone at left tackle will be Nate Solder, a player capable of guarding his most prized investment – Andrew Luck. Photo by Beth Hart.

Bleacher Report’s NFL Draft Lead Writer, Matt Miller is the founder of the NFL draft site New Era Scouting. Matt’s work has been featured in Madden 13, on ESPN radio, SiriusXM, NFL.com, SI.com, and USA Today. NFL, CFL and AFL teams have utilized his services. Matt was the secondary and special teams coordinator for the three-time league champion Joplin Crusaders of the Central Football League.

Miller presents his roster with the unwavering belief that he selected personnel that will be the makings of a great football team – not to mention the bravado to believe he got tremendous value with players at the higher end of this exercise’s pay scale.  Readers may see it as spin typical of NFL owners and GMs heading into training camp, but what I like is Miller’s steadfast belief in players that may not have lived up to initial expectations. It’s an indication that Miller stands by his work as an evaluator. Continue reading →

Reads Listens Views 7/20/12 – Booher, Aurora, and More Pot

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Thoughts and Prayers for the Town of Aurora, Colorado

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Last night’s shooting in an Aurora, Colorado theater during the midnight screening of Batman is the second massacre of this sort in a Denver suburb in recent years. Aurora was my second home as a child. My father lived there for at least 20 years and worked just five miles form that theater. He still doesn’t live far from there to this day. My brother grew up in a suburb pretty much between Aurora and just a highway exit away from Columbine.

And my friend and colleague Cecil Lammey lives in Littleton, which isn’t far from there, either. In fact, he left our Audible Podcast early to see the midnight screening of Batman and many of us wondered if he was in that theater upon hearing the tragic news. Thankfully, he was not, but dozens more weren’t as fortunate. Please keep the victims of this crime in your thoughts and prayers today.

On a related note, David and Shevelle, I’m sending my prayers your way. My wife and I met this Aurora couple last Friday at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. If you didn’t know, the museum is at the site of the old Lorraine Motel, the place where Martin Luther King was assassinated. We saw a documentary featuring the Reverend Billy Kyle, who was at Martin Luther King’s side when the shot was fired. The film included a spine-chilling sermon Kyle gave about bearing witness to this tragedy.  I found it here and considering the events of last night, I think it is fitting to share.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/zNlpGcjx9Wo] Continue reading →

RSP Readers Team: Ryan Booher’s Q&A

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Chip Kelly (left) puts the pedal to the metal and Ryan Booher builds a team that at least in theory, is going to make television commentators and analysts gush like school girls at a boy band concert. Photo by Wade Rackley.

…it is that “box” that I think most often times gets coaches fired. Fear of trying something new. Given the size, speed, and intelligence of defenders today, I need coaches that can give defenses pause when trying to play w/ the attacking, intimidating style that they love to use.

-Ryan Booher on his coaching and strategy

Somehow, in the mass of RSP Project submissions, I forgot to post Ryan Booher’s roster Q&A. I’m not sure why, because I was fascinated with his desire to use high-tempo, Oregon/West Virginia/Oklahoma State spread looks in the NFL. I love his willingness to embrace an aggressive offensive scheme.

Booher’s Q&A is an excellent presentation of a team and he’s one of the few writers/readers that I’ve seen thus far talk about the fit with chemistry between personnel, coaches, and strategy to build a strong team. While there is a difference between theory and practice, this is one of my favorite teams. I have follow up questions for him that I hope I can have answered tomorrow in time for Reads Listens Views.

Here’s Booher’s roster if you need a quick refresher of his personnel. Matt Miller, Jene Bramel, and Scott Kacsmar, and Chase Stuart have finished their rosters. Russ Lande is working on his right now. Great stuff ahead. Continue reading →

Pro Football Focus Fantasy Editor Alex Miglio’s Q&A

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Whitney Mercilus will have a pivotal role in PFF writer-editor Alex Miglio’s defensive scheme. Is he ready? Photo by The Daily Herald.

PFF writer and editor Alex Miglio unveiled at roster with promising offensive skill players, linebackers, cornerbacks, and safeties under 26 years of age. This is a young and physically talented team. What intrigues me most about this team is that Andrew Luck has been compared often to Peyton Manning, but unlike the Colts or Broncos, Miglio is going to give Luck and his young squad a complex offense with a variety of personnel sets and formation shifts.

While Luck may be up to the task, the question might be whether the rest of his team is up to the scheme complexities Continue reading →

Pro Football Focus Fantasy Editor Alex Miglio’s RSP Writers Team

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Pro Football Focus fantasy redraft editor Alessandro Miglio is banking big on the Andrew Luck to Coby Fleener tandem. Photo by Han Shot First.

Alessandro Miglio is the Redraft Editor for Pro Football Focus’ fantasy content and a featured columnist at Bleacher Report where he covers the Dolphins and the NFL. Miglio and I both share a fondness for the Miami Hurricanes football team and Foster 206, which is not a beer but a location for excellent music.

Miglio believes he built his team for the long haul.

This team was built to last. There is youth and upside at many vital positions. While that means there is some uncertainty about quality of play, the youthful makeup of this club was intentional. While they may not be immediate Super Bowl contenders, they should quickly grow into one.

With players like Andrew Luck, Jonathan Stewart, Taiwan Jones, and Demaryius Thomas, Miglio has some explosive elements to his team. The questions arise on defense where he has a lot of promise and physical talent, but is there enough savvy to make it work? Continue reading →

Ryan Booher’s RSP Reader’s Team

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Who is this bird? Ryan Booher will give you the word as he reveals his RSP Readers Team, which will feature Diamond formation sets and West Coast/Spread Concepts. Photo by Jeffery Beall.

As promised, I’m posting reader-submitted teams for the RSP Writers Project. Ryan Booher has been excited about participating in this project for months now. He has delivered a fascinating roster filled with many players that I haven’t seen on teams submitted thus far. He’ll also be using the Diamond formation in a lot of base sets, which we might see a little bit in the NFL this year. Continue reading →