Tuesday, January 22, 2008

The first full day of practices in pads was played under gray skies, with little wind and mild temperatures. No train fell, and the temp peaked at 58 degrees. This is good stuff for late January here in the Bay area.

Practices were lively and fast paced. Almost every player I spoke with commented on the pace of the practices, and the attention to detail by the pro coaches.

One of the higher ranked players went home this morning. Kentwan Balmer tweaked a hamstring, and at this venue any kind of injury puts a player on the shelf. No one wants to be responsible for turning a minor injury into a major one.

Morning North Practice

Dan Conner – LB, PENN State looked outstanding in practice all morning, whether doing positional drills, or participating in 7 on 7 drills. He is a natural athlete; more so than Paul Posluszny who was here last year from Linebacker U. His coordination and speed are impressive. He seems equally adept against the run and the pass. He looks like the best overall player here to me.

Jordy Nelson – WR, Kansas State has the most impressive combination of size, speed and hands of any receiver here. AT 6’2/215, he has little difficulty taking the ball away from defenders, when they occasionally stay close to him. His size and speed remind me of former Packer Bill Schroeder. But unlike trackman Schroeder, he is an NFL ready product. As other prospects, like Adarius Bowman, stumble a bit, Nelson moves up the rankings board. The former walk-on at KSU may be headed into the late Second Round in April.

Joe Flacco – QB, Delaware> continues to impress with his athleticism and potential, but Raider coaches are doing a lot of work with him on his footwork, and drop-back. He also seems to be having a bit of difficulty adapting to the speed of the D1-A CBs, and the overall speed of the All-Star caliber scrimmage. He was picked once, and had several other routes jumped on his late throws.

Terrence Wheatley – CB, Colorado may be the best CB inch-for-inch, and pound-for-pound down here. At only a touch over 5’ 9”, with only 29 ½” arms he may never be more than a Nickel Back in the NFL, but he will be a good one. He is a tough, physical little guy, who shows good ball skills. He should also be able to find a way to contribute on Special Teams on the NFL.

Speaking of “little guys”, Eddie Royal – WR/RS, VA Tech has been very impressive in a talented receiver group. He is quick as a hiccup, and shows break away speed if he catches a ball behind the DBs. He has shown very dependable hands and runs some pretty crisp routes. Hard to gauge return skills this week, but he piled up some big numbers for the Hokies during his career there.

Jordon Dizon – LB, Colorado is beginning to look like more than just a back-up LB and Special Teamer. He seems more athletic that I was led to believe. He also has good ball instincts and seems to be able to locate the ball well. He has good hands for a LB, and if in position to get to the ball will make the INT. And there has never been any question about his hustle, and desire.

Sedrick Ellis – DT, Southern CAL though not dominant consistently, still looks to be the best DL in Mobile. He is bullish, and quick. He still looks to me a lot like Warren Sapp. He can get penetration and out-quicks most of the interior OL. His ability is a little hard to gauge, because he is not being challenged by elite OL.

Time for a couple of general observations about the players on the rosters this year.

The OL and DL are fairly mediocre. There are some decent players, and some will make their mark in the NFL, but only Sam Baker seems like a legit candidate for the First Round, and late at that, come April.

Overall these rosters feature more speed, and quickness than in recent years, while the overall player size seems down this year.

Afternoon South Practice

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie – CB, TENN State continues to shine with his coverage skills and athleticism. He is slim, trim and quick to the ball. He has the speed to keep up with any WR on the field. This guy is really pushing to leave Mobile as a solid First Round candidate.

The same can pretty much be said of Leodis McKelvin – CB, Troy a superior athlete with good cover skills. He has lock-down potential. He shows well with his athleticism in drills and seems to have excellent speed, and quickness to turn on the ball. Haven’t seen it here yet but he did return three punts for TDs this past season.

Chris Williams – OT, Vanderbilt appears to be the most consistent and talented OL on the South squad. His size (6-6, 320) and quickness make his almost impossible to get around. He shows good drive on running plays. He seems able to keep the lighter, quicker DEs down here at arms length, literally. He still seems like a very early selection in Round Two.

Local favorite D.J. Hall – WR, Alabama seems to be a target of the ire of ‘Niners Coaches with his rounded patterns, and his less than flat-out speed practice habits. He really needs to get the message and step it up the rest of the week, or he is going to head to the Combine with more than a few black marks behind his name.

Rafael Little – RB, Kentucky looks good with his shiftiness and quickness into and through the hole, when one is available. He has caught the ball well on the occasions when it has been thrown his way. His shiftiness and quickness make him a good punt returner. He still reminds me of Kevin Faulk with his multi-faceted skill set. Only his lack of size will keep him from being taken in the first three rounds.

Wednesday is the day we separate the wheat from the chaff in Mobile. Players are getting a little tired, both mentally and physically, after two days of NFL style practices and trying to digest scaled down NFL play books. Things throttle down on Thursday as game day approaches. Wednesday is the last chance for some guys to make a significant impression on the Coaches and Scouts. I’ll try to advise you of who stepped up tomorrow night.

Good night from foggy Mobile.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Let’s get two things out of the way immediately. I am finding the Packer loss easier to handle being down here with plenty to do. It is also about 50 degrees warmer here than in Wisconsin. I have chalked that up to also being a good thing. What is the irony of finding myself seated amongst Giants scouts this morning at the player weigh-ins? They smiled, but were gracious when it came to light that I was from ESPN Radio in Wisconsin.

The Player Agents have struck the Senior Bowl again. It is amazingly ironic that another handful of players, most of whom are considered potential First Rounders, have bowed out of this event with various minor “injuries/ailments”. Gone from the rosters as of this morning were:

Brian Brohm, QB
Matt Ryan, QB
Mike Jenkins, CB
Quentin Groves, LB

Don’t look for anyone in this game to be in that Top Ten group come April, but there are still some solid potential First Round candidates in Mobile. They are:

Sedrick Elli, DT
Andre Woodson, QB
Dan Conner, LB
Keith Rivers, LB
Sam Baker, OT
Tracy Porter, CB
Chris Williams, OT
Leodis McKelvin, CB

Weigh-In

Monday morning was the National Scouting Service Weigh-In, or as it often referred to rather unflatteringly in the non-football Media; the Human Meat Market. We get four vital tidbits of info about each player, plus a look at their body structure. Every player is measured by employees of National Scouting for their height, weight, arm length and hand span. Some numbers are more significant to certain positions, but we won’t get too far into explanations tonight. How about some highlight numbers, and some interesting numbers for certain key players.

Tallest Player - Brad Cottam, TE at 6’ 7 5/8”
Shortest Player - Justin Forsett, RB at 5’ 7 6/8”
Largest Hand - Gosder Cherilus, OT at 11 4/8”
Longest Arms - Gosder Cherilus, OT at 35 5/8”
Heaviest Player - Carl Nicks, OL at 345 lbs
Lightest Player - Dorien Bryant, WR at 169 lbs

I have not included K in these numerical comparisons.

There were 19 players weighing 300 lbs. or more. This numbers is actually down from previous years.

One of the things everyone looks for at this session are players whose numbers vary significantly from their “listed/program” numbers as provided by their schools. It seems to me the discrepancies are becoming fewer and fewer as the years go by.

There were some glaring discrepancies this morning that drew murmurs and oohs from the assembled personnel people.

Colt Brennan came in a little over this 6’2” height number, but he weighed in at only 185 lbs, 20 below his program weight. On the positive side, his hands measured 9.3”. NFL Personnel people like to see a QB’s hands be over 9” since gripping the “fatter” NFL ball is one of the first issues a QB faces as a pro.

The only two QBs with hands under 9”, were John David Booty (8.3) and Chad Henne (8.2). Trust me when I tell you the grips and throws of these two will be watched carefully between now and April.

I am not going to embarrass anybody in print, but believe me when I tell you that for every sculpted “body by bow flex”; there was a bad body on display.

There were also some players who based on their numbers today will be needing to convert positions in the pros. This is especially true of some DL who will have to either move outside, or attempt to convert to a stand-up position in a 3-4. Here are a couple of examples.

Titus Brown – DT, MISS State at 6’ 2 5/8”, 239 lbs to OLB
Cliff Avril, DE Purdue at 6’ 3”, 252 lbs to OLB

There is another little side story going on down here within the coaching staff of the Raiders. It has been speculated that Lane Kiffin wants to fire Rex Ryan, and Al Davis is opposed to that idea. It looks for all the world like Kiffin and Ryan may not even be on speaking terms.

It seems reminiscent of the Bears of the 80’s with Ditka and Buddy Ryan. Ditka was Head Coach of the Offense and Ryan was Head Coach of the Defense. When they won their Super Bowl, defeating New England, Buddy was carried off the field by his defensive players. Rex must have learned a few things from his dad in more ways than one.

There is lots more going on, but it’s late and there will much more to tell you again tomorrow. Oh, I did want to relate that I made it to Ed’S Seafood Shed out in the Bay for lunch. Ed’s lovely wife Barbara kept me company while I ate my gumbo, shrimp po’ boy, and cheese/garlic grits. Washed that down with about a quart of “unsweet” iced tea. I can see I will not lose any weight on this trip.

Good night from Mobile.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

We’ll start out this year’s odyssey with a twist. My first report is from Wisconsin where I am still stuck thanks to Delta and weather of the wrong kind in Atlanta. The new plan is to leave late Sunday morning, causing me to miss the Pats/Chargers game, and arriving in Mobile (if on schedule,ha,ha,ha) in time to see 3/4 of the Packers game.

Just finished watching the Shrine ALL-STAR Game from Houston, so I will give you my initial impressions of players who stood out.

Josh Johnson – QB, San Diego
The Offensive MVP had a big night of play-making leading the West to most of its points. His passing accuracy was good, but his stats suffered from numerous dropped balls. He outran the D on a couple of scrambles, and showed very good awareness of the field. He should test very well at the Combine and is a threat to crack the first three rounds as Brennan and others fade.

Spencer Larsen – ILB, Arizona
The game Defensive MVP was a sideline to sideline defender. He showed good ball awareness and put solid hits on anyone who came near him. His play mirrored his Senior season and locks him in as a solid Fourth Rounder.

Taylor Mehlhaff – K, Wisconsin
He displayed all the things you need to see in the NFL. His kick-offs were long, and his FG attempts were strong and accurate. He gets the ball off and up quickly which is important at the next level. I think he will get drafted in April.

Dwight Lowery – CB, San Jose State
Lowery showed all the skills he did during the past two years at SJS. He showed great ball awareness and good hands with two interceptions. He may lack straight line speed, but in the first 15 yards he can be a lock-down player.

Thomas Williams – OLB, Southern CAL
He is looking more and more every day like a guy who was caught up in the talent/numbers game that is Pete Carroll’s roster. He has good size and can run. He was excellent in his kick coverage all night. He also showed well as a LB, though his lack of playing time was evident on occasion.

Paul Smith – QB, Tulsa
He looked good overall with better than average arm strength. He had several balls dropped and began to force the ball resulting in INTs. He showed good understanding of the offense with his reads. I doubt he is really 6-2, but he can be a Drew Brees type pro with patience and good coaching.

Jerome Simpson – WR, Coastal Carolina
He has a solid night with some nice pattern running and good separation at times from the CBs. He measured in during the week with the longest arms of any player, and the second biggest hands. Those numbers will excite the Scouts. He is very close now to being a Third Rounder.

Jamie Silva – S, Boston College
His play was adequate in the secondary with strong tackling. He does not have the speed to provide deep coverage help and he was burned a couple of times. His Special Teams play was excellent, as expected. He has worked his way this season from undrafted to a Round 5-6 prospect.

Nick Hayden – DT, Wisconsin
He showed once again that he can be a solid NFL DT. He needs another 10-15 lbs., but he uses his hands and arms well. He also fires into his blockers and gets penetration. He anchored all night against the run.

Justin Tryon – CB, Arizona State
Once the game starts he makes everyone forget his lack of height. On several occasions he demonstrated his ability to turn his hips and run with the receiver deep. He is also fairly physical in the first ten yards if needed. Two inches taller and he would be in the Second Round. His play tonight cemented him in Round 4.

Kevin O’Connell – QB, San Diego State
At 6-6, 235 he reminds me of Big Ben. He also looked like Big Ben under center tonight. He is very mobile and can run well, as well as pass accurately on the move. His arm is strong and he seems to have command of the huddle and the offensive scheme. He may come out of the Combine as a rising star.

I will have more observations when I return from Mobile, and watch the game tape a couple of times. Hopefully I will give you a note or two on the final Senior Bowl roster Sunday night from Mobile. Wish me luck.