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Football Notes
*** NFL blog is below ***
by Tommy Lawlor
scoutsnotebook@gmail.com
7-6-08
More Pac-10 stuff...
* Oregon WR Jaison Williams is a big receiver. They list him at 6'5, 240. He looks that big. In the game I watched Jaison showed good speed. He's not just a big possession receiver. In some ways, he is the opposite of Patrick Turner. While I'm intrigued by Williams size and speed, there is one small problem...drops. He simply doesn't have the kind of hands you want in a guy that you are trying to count on. He is physically gifted and effective on downfield routes, but is sloppy on crossing routes. He doesn't look all that comfortable crossing the middle. He's certainly not scared, but I think maneuvering through traffic affects his concentration. He is much more comfortable locating the ball downfield. Lots of potential, but he has to catch the ball more consistently.
* Ducks DE Nick Reed had 12 sacks last year and played very well. I was hoping to see a really good edge rusher. Nick is a very good college player, but I didn't see the kind of burst or suddenness that you want out of an NFL pass rusher. He does have a good motor. We'll see how he looks in 2008, but I think he'll be a mid-round pick at the best. He's 6'2, 255. That size is fine for athletic guys, but Nick is lacking in that department. Good hustle player on the college level, but not the kind of guy pro teams will be excited about.
* Arizona QB Willie Tuitama was interesting to watch. He has good physical skills. He has a good arm and solid athletic ability. His accuracy and consistency were the big problems. On one play he'd put a ball right on the receiver. The next pass would be off target. That shows you he's got the ability. He lacks the focus on details that lead to regular precision. Willie threw for almost 4,000 yards last year so production isn't a problem. This will be his second season in the Sonny Dykes spread offense. That should help Tuitama to have a big time Senior year.
Quick Hits
* Arizona DE Jonathan Turner didn't look all that athletic, but he did show a good feel for rushing the passer.
* WR Mike Thomas is a threat with the ball in his hands, but is only 5'8, 195. He's quick and elusive. I didn't get a feel for his top end speed.
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7-3-08
* I watched last year's USC/Oregon game. I wanted to check out some of the lesser known Trojans. We all know about Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing. Taylor Mays, only a Junior, is also a major star.
DT Fili Moala has some hype right now, but did very little to impress me. He mainly plays the 3-technique (think of Warren Sapp's role in Tampa). The problem is that Moala isn't disruptive enough. He doesn't make the kind of plays you want from a 3-tech. DT. You need that guy to get upfield and make plays in the backfield. Fili has some athletic ability, but doesn't stand out in any way. I noticed him at times while studying Sedrick Ellis prior to the draft, so I know he has ability and can make some plays. I just don't see him as a 1st round type of prospect after checking him out more carefully.
DE Kyle Moore has a very good frame. He lists at 6'6, 275. Kyle plays both sides. He lacks top burst, but has some athletic ability. USC at times will run a 3-4. Moore plays stand-up LB in some of those sets. He has potential, but he needs to play more consistently in 2008 to impress NFL teams. His size makes him an ideal LDE, but he has to play at a higher level.
WR Patrick Turner has been a disappointment since coming to USC. He was supposed to be an elite playmaker. That hasn't been the case. I hadn't watched him closely until yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised. He is big at 6'5, 220. He has very good hands and can make very tough catches. Patrick lacks athletic ability. He isn't a burner. He's not dangerous after the catch. He could be an excellent possession receiver because of his size and hands. I'm interested to watch him this season and see if he can play at a high level, even if big plays still aren't part of the equation.
LG Jeff Byers has been plagued by injuries in his career. He was a stud recruit coming out of high school and supposed to be a star OL from day one. Things have been up and down because of injuries, but Jeff is a good player. He was healthy in 2007 and played well. I hope he is able to stay healthy in 2008. Jeff could be one of the top guards in the country. He is technically sound. He uses his arms to keep the defender off him. He moves his feet and plays with a good base. He can drive block or be effective in pass protection.
I'll post some thoughts on the Ducks and a couple of other Pac-10 guys in a couple of days.
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7-1-08
I recently watched a couple of Tennessee games. The Vols are very
talented, but also inconsistent. That is true of them as a team and as
individual players. Coach Phillip Fulmer needs to get them to play better on both levels in 2008. He is under a lot of pressure to get the Vols back to an elite level. They've remained a winner the last few years, but have been out of the national title hunt. And Tennessee fans aren't too happy with the way Georgia and Florida have jumped ahead of the Vols recently. I'm sure the presence of Steve Spurrier at South Carolina is troublesome as well.
Onto the players. RB Arian Foster is one of the top Senior backs in the country. Last year he ran for 1193 yards and 12 TDs. He also caught 39 passes. They list him at 6'1, 215. That is the kind of size I prefer in a RB. He's big enough to be a strong, powerful runner, but still small enough to be agile and elusive. Foster has pretty good vision. He will run up the middle, bounce plays outside, or cutback. He's not just a N-S runner. He's got some power. You'll see him break tackles. He's got pretty good feet for a bigger guy. He can't make dynamic cuts, but is above average when it comes to making nimble moves. The one thing that keeps him from being a terrific prospect is a lack of top speed. He's fast enough to bounce runs wide and get the corner. Unfortunately he doesn't have that top gear that some guys use to create long runs.
WR Lucas Taylor is an interesting guy. He had some big games in 2007 and led the team in catches and yards. I was curious to see how good he was. Taylor has good hands and catches the ball really well. He's got excellent concentration and focus. He'll work the middle on short routes, but can catch deep balls as well. The problem is that he doesn't look like a top athlete. I saw him catch a 51-yard TD vs Miss State. He beat press coverage and the CB looked slow in chasing him. Taylor didn't look very fast, but still had the long TD. He didn't show any special quickness or speed on short/medium catches either. He looked like a possession receiver in the games I saw.
The Vols have a pair of good OL. Ramon Foster is the RT and Anthony Parker is the LG. I've heard really good things about each player, but came away somewhat disappointed. Foster lacks the footwork to be a top OT. He also didn't dominate as a run blocker the way I'd hoped he would. Parker looked solid, but didn't stand out.
One guy who intrigues the heck out of me is DT Demonte Bolden. They list him at 6'6, 290. He easily could go 315 and still look sleek. He's up and down, but has a lot of potential. Bolden is at his best attacking upfield. He's quick and agile. He only had 2 sacks and 5 TFLs last year, but he was more disruptive than those numbers indicate. You might want to think of him as a Kentwan Balmer kind of guy. Balmer was solid as a Junior, but really emerged as a Senior. Bolden could follow the same arc. Tennessee used some 3-4 sets quite a bit last year. Bolden spent time at NT and DE. I could easily see 3-4 teams loving him as a DE.
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6-24-08
I popped in the Rutgers/Cincy game from last season. I wanted to take a second look at some UC guys as well as getting familiar with Rutgers.
Quick thoughts on a few UC Seniors:
* WR Dominick Goodman - He isn't a burner or the most athletic guy, but he is a good receiver. Adjusts well to the ball. Makes tough catches. Plays strong. He's shown good RAC ability in multiple plays in multiple games. Likely a #3 or #4 WR in the NFL, but a guy with some potential.
* CB Mike Mickens - UC plays mostly off coverage. I'm not sure how physical Mike is because of that. He's patient in his backpedal. Shows good zone awareness. Looks like a smart CB. Has good athletic ability. Quick. Will hit.
* LB Corey Smith - Fun guy to watch when he's blitzing or playing in space. Runs and moves well. Lacks the bulk/strength to play inside runs the way you'd like. Corey isn't shy about contact. He's just not strong enough to shed blockers and get to the ball.
* Rutgers has several good players. I'll start with QB Mike Teel. He really came out of nowhere to have a big season in 2007. I wasn't sure what to expect when I put on the tape. Big QB numbers are good, but don't mean that a guy is a good pro prospect.
Mike impressed me. He's got a good to very good arm. He can throw a really tight spiral with some zip on it. He can be very accurate at times. He'll take chances. Some QBs need receivers to be wide open. Mike will throw into coverage aggressively, but not stupidly. I love the fact he played in a vertical offense and didn't throw just quick screens and short passes.
While I liked a lot of what I saw, Mike still looked raw. His footwork wasn't smooth. He looks too mechanical. He isn't a statue, but Mike also won't win many races. If he can make the kind of progress this year that he did from '06 to '07, Mike could become a quality prospect.
* DE Jamaal Westerman led the team with 8 sacks in '07. He's quick off the ball and has a good motor. He's a little bit stiff in the hips, but is effective going straight-line. They list him at 6'3, 260. Good pass rusher. Has 20 career sacks.
* S Courtney Greene is a very good player. He's one of the best Safeties in the country. He's big at 6'2, 210, but also a good athlete. He can run with some receivers. Courtney can be an impact hitter. Guys coming across the middle need to know where #36 is. Generally he's a wrap-up tackler. His biggest issue is a lack of plays in the passing games. Greene is a 3-year starter with 5 career INTs. He has the physical skills to be solid in coverage, but lacks the instincts. He doesn't always locate the ball as well as you'd like. Could be a very good SS.
* The Scarlet Knights have some other guys to talk about, especially at WR, but I'll cover them after I've watched another game.
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6-21-08
* I watched part of the Clemson/South Carolina game. Tigers QB Cullen Harper was the first guy that I wanted to check out. He wasn't very impressive initially. Then I found out he hurt his shoulder the week prior to that game when he dove for the endzone on a QB run.
I'll need to watch another game when his arm is 100% to really get a good feel for him. What I saw was okay, but not as good as what I'd expected. Harper does have good size. He lists at 6'4, 220. Harper has some mobility. He's not just a pocket passer. I don't think I'd go so far as to call him athletic, though. Clemson runs the spread offense, although it focuses on running the ball. That makes it a bit different. Harper throws mainly shot passes. He is accurate and puts good touch on the ball. He wasn't throwing sprirals in the game I saw, but I'm not sure if that was due to the bum shoulder or not.
Harper works mostly out of the shotgun, but does get some time under Center. He looks sound fundamentally. His play fakes are okay, but need some work. He extends the ball, but does it in a rushed fashion.
Cullen sat at Clemson for 3 years. 2007 was his first as the starter. He threw for almost 3,000 yards. He had 27 TDs and only 6 INTs. Another big season in 2008 is likely. Clemson brings back a lot of offensive weapons. They do need to replace almost the entire OL. That is a concern, but the Tigers have done that for a few years now. They always seem to have 3 or 4 Seniors up front.
I don't think Harper is a top prospect. I don't see him going in the top 50. His arm is a question. I just didn't see the kind of zip I want from an NFL QB. The real key for him will be how much better he plays as a Senior than he did last year. He knows what he's doing. That should allow him to play at a higher level.
* The Tigers have a pair of terrific RBs. James Davis is the Senior. CJ Spiller is the Junior. Davis is the workhorse. He isn't a great athlete, but is a quality runner. He's got good strength, but also some speed and elusiveness. He is arguably the top Senior RB in the country, but I don't see him going in the 1st round.
Spiller is the more dynamic of the two. CJ is a weapon as a receiver and returner. He gets used creatively by Clemson. If he ever puts it all together, Spiller could be a top 20 pick.
* South Carolina WR Kenny McKinley is a really good player. Think of him as a better version of Harry Douglas. They have similar builds. McKinley is a better athlete. He's more of a special player. My big concern with him is how he'll adjust to running conventional routes. Steve Spurrier is a master at getting receivers wide open by the design of the play. That can give you a false-positive when evaluating them. I think McKinley is the real deal, but hopefully we'll see him at the Senior Bowl in January.
* LT Jamon Meredith has a chance to be a 1st round pick. Michael Oher gets all the pub in the SEC, but Meredith might be the best pass protector. He plays with very good pad level. He keeps his feet wide and really bends those knees. Meredith uses his hands pretty well. He has good feet. He looks natural moving around as a pass blocker. He could use some more weight. He lists at 6'5, 301. He needs to anchor better. Jamon is a sloppy run blocker. He doesn't drive guys off the ball as well as you'd like. SoCar uses a lot of cut blocking with their quick passes. Meredith is pretty good at that. He's agile and nimble for a big guy. A big time Senior year could put this guy into the 1st round.
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6-19-08
* I watched some of the '07 Louisville/Cincinnati game. The best prospect on either team may be Cardinals QB Hunter Cantwell. He has played sparingly in his career. Being stuck behind Brian Brohm will do that to a player. Hunter wasn't on the bench because he couldn't play. He's gotten to throw more than 20 passes in a game four times in his career. He threw for 173, 216, 271, and 340. He has 8 TDs and 6 INTs in those games. 3 of the INTs came against Va Tech in a bowl game when he was a Freshman.
Cantwell is big at 6'4, 236. He's a classic pocket passer. I'm excited to see how well he plays as "the guy". Hunter has been a very good backup, but taking over as the starter is very different. I think he'll play well, but we won't know for sure until the season gets underway. I haven't seen enough of him to know just how good he can be. I think Cantwell could play his way into being a 1st round prospect, but he does need to prove himself.
The Cardinals have some other players I'm interested in. C Eric Wood is a pretty good player. He is an athletic OL. He's at his best pulling and blocking on the move. Eric uses his hands well to control defenders. I am curious to see how he handles going up against a big, strong DT.
LT George Bussey is a solid player. I'm not sure how big he is. I've seen him listed at 6'4, 312. The U of L has him at 6'2, 306. That would be small for a LT. I have to think that is wrong. Bussey is a former walk-on, but sure doesn't play like one. He doesn't have great feet, but is a pretty solid pass blocker.
The Cardinals have several Senior defensive starters, but none stood out to me so far.
Cincy had a terrific season in 2007 and has a lot of talent returning. The best player is probably DT Terrill Byrd. He's small at 6'1, 270. Don't get caught up in the size, though. Byrd had 17 TFLs last year, including 8 sacks. This kid can play. He's quick off the ball. He plays with terrific leverage. He's got a good motor. Figuring out where he fits as a pro prospect is tough. You just don't see many DL that size. I think teams would want him to gain weight and play in the 285 range. Former Viking John Randle was able to play in the 270 range, but he was a HOF type player. Most guys who try to make it in the NFL as 275 lb DTs don't last long.
While Byrd is a very talented, disruptive guy, he does struggle at times when he needs to hold the point of attack. He uses good technique when taking on blockers, but simply needs to get bigger and stronger. He also got in trouble in the spring. He was charged with smoking marijuana and will miss the season opener vs EKU.
The best pro prospects for the Bearcats are probably the CBs, Mike Mickens and Deangelo Smith. Mickens has 10 career picks and 35 Passes Defensed. Teams don't always throw his way, though. That gives Smith a lot of chances to play the ball. He responded last year by picking off 8 passes. Smith is the bigger of the two players. Mickens is faster, having run some track in the past. Both guys are quality cornerbacks.
The best OL is RG Trevor Canfield. He goes about 6'5, 295. He has a medium build. Trevor is a quality blocker. He positions himself well and plays smart. He is always between his defender and the ball. He uses his hands well. Canfield isn't a top athlete, but moves pretty well and is effective blocking on the move. I want to see him against a good DT before praising him too much, but I was impressed with what I saw. Good player.
UC has many other Seniors. I'm not going to attempt to cover them all at this point. LB Corey Smith did catch my eye. He looked like a good athlete and quality cover LB. He's small at only 6'2, 213, but could be an interesting prospect if he can add a few pounds.
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older notes are archived in the forums section
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The Chad Johnson Experience
by, Matt Alkire 6/15/2008
matthew.alkire@gmail.com
As I continue to read the circus that is the Chad Johnson show I’m not sure what the heck to think about this guy. Johnson has been far from a Terrell Owens type of distraction in the locker room, however his antics are starting to get old at this point. Another thing that I wonder about is the advice Drew Rosenhaus gives his clients and where the communication breakdown is. Communication breakdown…hold on while I go break out the Led Zeppelin box set.
I’m having a nervous breakdown, drive me insane…I’ll tell you what’s driving me insane, Chad Johnson and Drew Rosenhaus. Johnson has an injured ankle and won’t be working out. Ok, now his ankle is fine, but he’s got another injury. Ok, now they have both miraculously healed in a matter of hours and he’s working out with the team. He says he’s perfectly happy in a recent interview with a Cincinnati newspaper, yet he has threatened to sit out an entire season and constantly complains about his current contract, which was just redone a few seasons ago.
I have the perfect solution for Rosenhaus; hire a psychiatrist for his prized wide receivers. Between Johnson and Owens I feel like I’m hanging out with Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys, being shown around the loony-bin to see all the pretty toys. One is doing sit-ups in his Moorestown, N.J., driveway shirtless while signing autographs years ago and the other is acting like a petulant child.
While I’d love to kill Chad on this, part of the blame also has to go on Marvin Lewis and the Bengals organization. The example they’ve set over the years with players like Chris Henry, Odell Thurman, A.J. Nicholson, Frostee Rucker, Jason Shirley, Johnathan Joseph, Matthias Askew, Quincy Wilson, etc, etc being brought onto the team or kept with legal trouble is absolutely pathetic. The Bengals may be using the philosophy of acquiring talent in later rounds and taking chances, but as they do that they continue to build a team full of turds to a once promising franchise.
My solution? It was reported before the draft that the Washington Redskins had offered two first round picks for Johnson. I would have taken that without even making the slightest hesitation. Cut the cancer out or it simply spreads. I thought that was common sense, but apparently in Cincinnati the powers that be are content with having a talented roster with no cohesion because of these types of individuals. I’d be moving Johnson to the first taker who is tossing up a first rounder at this point and be rid of him. Marvin Lewis needs to give Eagle’s Head Coach Andy Reid a call and ask him what keeping a player like Johnson around can do to your locker room not only for one year, but for years to come.
As for Rosenhaus, the mere sight of him or mention of his name makes me want to kill Bambi.
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Around the NFL
by Tommy Lawlor
5-21-08
RANDOM THOUGHTS
* Can Spygate now be considered over? The Pats have been punished. Matt Walsh has disclosed his story to multiple parties. There is no real smoking gun or compelling new evidence of anything significant. What's done is done. Move on. Please...
* The Cowboys smartly re-signed Marion Barber. Jerry Jones has to remember 1993 all too well. Emmitt Smith held out and the Boys started 0-2. Barber isn't a great player, but he is a perfect fit for the Dallas offense.
* There is an old adage in sports that sometimes the best move you make is the one you don't make. This could prove to be true for the Giants and Eagles in not giving away Jeremy Shockey or Lito Sheppard. When you have Pro Bowl performers in their prime, you only move them for fair compensation. If the price isn't right, you are smart to hang on to the player. After all, one torn ACL on another player could make either guy an important cog on a playoff team.
* I don't know what to make of Odell Thurman's future. He has the ability to be a good NFL MLB, but can a team trust him? The Bengals cut him recently. I would think his best shot is for a team to sign him after losing a player to injury in training camp. Who knows...maybe some team will take a flyer on him before that in hopes of getting a good player at little cost.
Dan Morgan was forced to retire this week. He was trying to return from a torn Achilles. The injury was giving him problems. Combine that with his concussion history and other assorted injuries and Dan decided to hang up his cleats.
It is sad to see a warrior like Morgan forced out of the game early because of injury while a young talented player like Thurman doesn't seem to appreciate the opportunity in front of him. The football gods do work in mysterious ways.
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5-13-08
Kansas City could be an interesting team this year. I'm not a big
believer in Brodie Croyle at this point, but right or wrong the Chiefs
have decided to stick with him. There were reports that Tyler Thigpen
looked really good in the mini-camp, but he's got a long way to go to
steal the QB job.
Croyle didn't have a lot to work with last
year. The players around him look better this season. Larry Johnson
isn't coming off a holdout. He'll be ready to go from day one. WR
Dwayne Bowe is in his 2nd year and should be a better player. Tony
Gonzalez remains a top flight TE. The OL should be improved. Free agent
WR Devard Darling could be a good role player. They also added some
depth in the draft.
The big questions to me are QB and OL. If
Croyle proves to be starter material, that will solve one problem. The
OL is being slowly rebuilt. The hope this year has to be that the new
guys pan out.
This roster is being rebuilt and is clearly a
work in progress. When you saw the Chiefs last summer on Hard Knocks
they looked like the worst team in the NFL. I don't see them contending
for a playoff spot in 2008, but I do feel like they are headed in the
right direction.
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