TIGHT ENDS
The talent availableTruthfully, there are really only six prospects available who have the look of future starters and two of those guys are coming off some form of surgery! That said, each of them offers a skill-set that could be considered attractive. I have one player ranked in my top 10, two in my top 40, another in my top 64 and one in my top 100.
What do I think the Giants should do?As we don
Great stuff Ceri! well done =D> Like you, after being high on Eabron I am starting to have my doubts. I have a real aversion to receivers that drop too many balls. In my mind a dropped easy catch is nearly as bad as a turn over.
The 2014 draft season has officially begun!!!!! :ok:
Ahh the signs that spring has finally come. Warmth, blossoming trees an flowers and of course Ceri's positional previews to wet our appetites for the draft. Good read as always. Looking forward to future reviews.
I'm obviously in the minority but I'm hoping Ebron is not our 1st rounder. I've never thought much of these new breed TEs that are basically blown up WRs that can't block. If he is the pick of course I'll cheer for him to succeed but personally I'd go in another direction at 12
Good article on NJ/NY Ledger about the 2014 group of TE's from both current and former NFC GM's, and
how they rate this years group. Ebron is not rated as high as you might think, and the giants have always
asked there TE's to block, these guys don't think Ebron will ever block well, but offers more WR type play with good hands.
Personally, I like the kid at ND he has the kind of stuff the giants like, and the guy who they rate the "best WR" is Sammy Watkins.
Check the article out.
CT GIANT
http://www.nj.com/times-sports/index.ssf/2014/03/eckel_three_men_love_nfl_draft.html (http://www.nj.com/times-sports/index.ssf/2014/03/eckel_three_men_love_nfl_draft.html)
Quote from: MightyGiants on March 30, 2014, 08:58:08 AM
Great stuff Ceri! well done =D> Like you, after being high on Eabron I am starting to have my doubts. I have a real aversion to receivers that drop too many balls. In my mind a dropped easy catch is nearly as bad as a turn over.
Me too.
Great job Ceri.
I firmly believe the Giants will come out of this Draft with two TEs. One a catch first/block second type and in the middle to late Rounds, a block first/catch second type. I still think the Giants will take Ebron at #12 simply because there are no real other options. Then perhaps an Arthur Lynch in the 5th would round out a position that is totally devoid of talent at this point.
Quote from: DesG89 on March 30, 2014, 01:45:46 PM
Ahh the signs that spring has finally come. Warmth, blossoming trees an flowers and of course Ceri's positional previews to wet our appetites for the draft. Good read as always. Looking forward to future reviews.
I'm obviously in the minority but I'm hoping Ebron is not our 1st rounder. I've never thought much of these new breed TEs that are basically blown up WRs that can't block. If he is the pick of course I'll cheer for him to succeed but personally I'd go in another direction at 12
Exactly how I feel. :-?? :-?? :-??
GUARDS
The talent availableIt
Good stuff Ceri. Did you happen to check out the guard from East Carolina that Flaherty watched?
Sorry Rich, no video's of him in game long action over at draft breakdown. Can't say I've seen any part of an East Carolina game for a few years so I can't comment
Looks like we could have many options in rds 2-4.
Great write up as usual Ceri. Sua Filo is my favorite OG in this draft but there's no way he drops to 43. Would have no problem with Jackson in the 2nd or 3rd for that matter. What's your opinion of unheralded Bama RG Anthony Steen?
Quote from: DesG89 on April 03, 2014, 10:18:25 PM
Great write up as usual Ceri. Sua Filo is my favorite OG in this draft but there's no way he drops to 43. Would have no problem with Jackson in the 2nd or 3rd for that matter. What's your opinion of unheralded Bama RG Anthony Steen?
I actually kinda like Steen as a third day option but worry that if we were to draft him and play him at RG next to Pugh we'd have trouble in noisy environments with false starts on the right side. It's not that Steen has any trouble hearing (that I know of) just that between he and Pugh their arms are so short they couldn't hold hands pre-snap unless we tightened the splits =))
Seriously though, he's probably maxed out in terms of his size, isn't particularly athletic but he's played well at the highest level of competition. The torn labrum that ended his season before his Bowl game has prevented him from working out at either the Combine or Crimson Tide Pro Day but they have another one coming up in April that he is expected to be ready for. Do well in that i can see him being drafted in the 5th round.
Ceri,
Did you hear TC's comment about the size of the guards the Giants signed and going back to playing Giants football? Seems like with the departure of Gilbride nimble and athletic may not be in the Giants guard's job description. I think what that will translate into is better short yardage and red zone production.
Quote from: MightyGiants on April 04, 2014, 07:33:05 AM
Ceri,
Did you hear TC's comment about the size of the guards the Giants signed and going back to playing Giants football? Seems like with the departure of Gilbride nimble and athletic may not be in the Giants guard's job description. I think what that will translate into is better short yardage and red zone production.
I would certainly hope that is the case Rich. It's sad watching a team with our history unable to consistently convert on short yardage. Smash-mouth football is likely to be back and I couldn't be happier that it is!
Agree with the smash mouth comment. I think the Giants want at least one guard who can do what Snee used to do in short yardage. They have been weak in short yardage for 2 years now and terrible at all run aspects last year. By teh way, I think this coming year would be Moseley's 3rd year. He was injured as a rookie and played some last year. That said, I think he still is part of the plan. Not sure about Brewer. I don't think he's as bad as you do but if he doesn't show more in training camp, he's gone. The Giants have been patient with young linemen. They had Koets on the roster for a few years before he got his chance and he looked good until he got hurt. Brewer has had more chances and the need was greater and he did not fall on his face but did not impress.
I would be very pleased with Dozier. I think he is exactly the kind of player the Giants would like to see replace Snee/Brewer in 2015.
Although not on Ceri's list, I still want the Penn State brainiac on day three. Someone will be very happy with him. Especially if he is also a swing center per Greg Gabriel's scouting report.
John Urschel
Excellent analysis as always, Ceri. Even with the increasing role and emphasis given to Tight End, there have only been 3 TEs taken in Round 1 in the past five years as compared to 18 OTs, 18 WRs, and 16 DTs. I guess that suggests something about how high Ebron is being rated when considered value at 12.
And while I don't disgree with your assessments of A S-J, Niklas, Amaro, Fiedorowicz et al as later picks, it does makes one wonder whether there were similar reservations and/or doubts responsible for guys like Witten (69) and Findley (91) and Graham (95) lasting until Round 3?
In 2010, Gronkowski went at 43 which coincidently is where Our Heroes are scheduled to pick in Round 2, this year. His durability (back problem) was big question mark, that I know. I also know that the TE he most often was compared to at the time was Kevin Boss. <:-P
Cheers!
TACKLES
The talent availableIt
I would pass on Richardson. Microfracture surgery that young does not bode well for a long career. MF surgery can create a substitute for cartilage but it's not as strong or durable as the real thing.
The Giants seldom move up or down.
If one of the top three OTs lasts until number 12, I will be shocked and horrified if the Giants don't draft him.
I simply don't think ANY TE is EVER worth a #12 pick. And we already have the JPP of TEs on the roster.
Jints traded up for Shockey.
I don't believe Beatty can return to 100%, in addition to returning to 2011 form.
relying on him for 16 games and hopefully playoffs is a risk that's not wise to take. James, Jerry & whomever else currently on the Roster aren't solid OLT. Land an elite OT & let the Rook & Beatty slug it out for LOT, loser plays ROT. & yes Beatty can play RT. contract can't dictate whom plays where, level of play does. Unless Beatty is a slam dunk ( how could he be ?) we got to do what we need to to grab one of these elite tackles Now being as close as we'll be for a long time (hopefully?).
Interesting that Zach Martin doesn't even make this list.
Do you project him as a pure Guard, UK?
Quote from: HeavyweightChamp49 on April 07, 2014, 09:51:20 AM
Interesting that Zach Martin doesn't even make this list.
Do you project him as a pure Guard, UK?
No, but I covered him in the Guard preview so wasn't going to put him in twice!
Quote from: UKGiantsFan on April 07, 2014, 09:54:26 AM
Quote from: HeavyweightChamp49 on April 07, 2014, 09:51:20 AM
Interesting that Zach Martin doesn't even make this list.
Do you project him as a pure Guard, UK?
No, but I covered him in the Guard preview so wasn't going to put him in twice!
Thank you. I'll read that now.
You've got to think Zack Martin will get a hard look by the Giants. Just like Pugh, he is versatile.
Quick update - it appears that having missed out on Washington's Pro Day through injury that Austin Sefarian-Jenkins may not get another opportunity to work out pre-draft. Personally, as long as the Doctors say the stress fracture in his foot has healed I'd still have no problem were the Giants to select him in the 2nd round. If he lasts longer than that and we get him I'll be proclaiming it to be a 'steal'!
Quick update - Unfortunately it has been reported today that one of the guys I had a liking for, Clemson T/G Brandon Thomas, tore an ACL in training last week. No doubt this effects his draft standing as he's going to have a red-shirt rookie season and will now be drafted very late on rather than the 2nd round. That's a real shame for the young man. I hope he has insurance as even if he returns to full health and performs well in the NFL this will cost him a large amount of money over the next four years before his contract expires.
Morgan Moses is interesting, and looks to be quietly rising up the boards. Every year there are Tackles that go higher than expected, last year around this time Fluker was expected to go in the 20s and he went at 12. Could the Giants surprise, bypass Lewan and take Moses at 12?
"When asked which draft prospect has elevated their stock that he might have missed the first time around, NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock mentioned Virginia T Morgan Moses.
Moses didn't test well at the combine, and he doesn't have a great body, but Mayock loves his game tape, a sentiment echoed by Houston SportsTalk 790 hosts Adam Clanton and Lance Zierlein. It's not hard to see why the footage swayed them: Moses succeeded against top-notch rushers such as Vic Beasley, Jeremiah Attaochu and Kyle Van Noy"
Any thoughts on Laurent Duvernay-Tardif? He seems to be getting a lot of attention, he's out of McGill which is Canada's Harvard or Englands Cambridge, not much competition but very bright, a medical student with apparantly good skills. I've seen him as high as a 3rd rounder in some mocks. I heard someone on the NFL network say that he's the biggest sleeper in the draft and that he'd be an excellent OLT for years in the NFL.
Quote from: DesG89 on March 30, 2014, 01:45:46 PM
Ahh the signs that spring has finally come. Warmth, blossoming trees an flowers and of course Ceri's positional previews to wet our appetites for the draft. Good read as always. Looking forward to future reviews.
I'm obviously in the minority but I'm hoping Ebron is not our 1st rounder. I've never thought much of these new breed TEs that are basically blown up WRs that can't block. If he is the pick of course I'll cheer for him to succeed but personally I'd go in another direction at 12
TOTALLY AGREE, EBRON = A BIG WIDE RECEIVER. :suspious: :suspious: :suspious:
What do you think of guys like, Brandon Linder, and Andrew Norwell in the late rounds? :-?? :-?? :-??
I know that TEs need to be able to block but could it be that other teams are not so demanding of their TEs in blocking. Every season we see TEs have excellent games against us catching the ball with short to mid range passes and we seem to sit with no production from our TE because we aski him to be a blocking lineman first and a receiver last, I think its time we just grab a good receiving TE and teach him to block, thats what we did with Shockey...
Quote from: jerseyguy on April 14, 2014, 10:29:32 AM
I know that TEs need to be able to block but could it be that other teams are not so demanding of their TEs in blocking. Every season we see TEs have excellent games against us catching the ball with short to mid range passes and we seem to sit with no production from our TE because we aski him to be a blocking lineman first and a receiver last, I think its time we just grab a good receiving TE and teach him to block, thats what we did with Shockey...
You can "teach" someone the fundamentals of blocking. But you cannot expect a TE with a tall, sinewy build to be a good blocker at the NFL level. Most of them don't have the natural strength and strong lower body to hold the point against much larger defensive linemen. With someone like Ebron, he has the size and hopefully the desire to be a decent blocker. But he will certainly come off the field on obvious running downs as do guys like Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski.
Ceri: You are the first person here or in the general news media to rank the top 3 correctly, in my opinion. Nice job.
UK, what do you think of the Giants picking up one of the next tier tackle prospects in the second round to compete for the RG spot? This way they will have a plan B tackle in place if Beatty falters.Or do we draft a guard and use Charly Brown as plan B if Beatty regresses.
Quote from: dasher on April 06, 2014, 10:45:43 AM
Although not on Ceri's list, I still want the Penn State brainiac on day three. Someone will be very happy with him. Especially if he is also a swing center per Greg Gabriel's scouting report.
John Urschel
CENTERS
The talent availableAs usual there isn
What about Bryan Stork?
Quote from: Philosophers on April 17, 2014, 06:30:31 AM
What about Bryan Stork?
Can't move anyone, stiff going laterally, slow to the second level and benefitted from the style of offense. Other than that he's perfect ;)
Seriously though, I could have added any of Stork, Larsen & Bodine to the preview but I don't see any of them as good prospects
John Urschel please. That's the kind of guy I think would be perfect for the Giants
Ceri, if the Giants feel like you do I'm struggling to see that the risk/reward is balanced with Walton. The downside risk with him is only mitigated if we either have or can draft someone we see as having the talent to develop into a starter and who could, if emergency struck, step in and at least not be abysmal. The idea that if Walton busts we are in the safe hands of Dallas Reynolds is somehow not making me feel all warm and fuzzy! How do you read the situation?
Pat Traina tweeted yesterday that the Giants like Dallas Reynolds. They see upside with him
Sometimes if you look hard you start seeing what you want to see. Reynolds has not done anything in several years bouncing between practice squads and active rosters without doing anything much in active game time to suggest he's a bona fide nfl starter. I can see that he could be better than Cordle but a legitimate insurance policy that won't give Eli sleepless nights...?!
Quote from: MightyGiants on April 17, 2014, 07:47:48 AM
Pat Traina tweeted yesterday that the Giants like Dallas Reynolds. They see upside with him
Eli has already seen the upside offered by Reynolds. Final game of the season he saw the skyline. Last week the remnants of that hit had him looking up at the ceiling of an operating theatre
Quote from: UKGiantsFan on April 17, 2014, 08:37:00 AM
Quote from: MightyGiants on April 17, 2014, 07:47:48 AM
Pat Traina tweeted yesterday that the Giants like Dallas Reynolds. They see upside with him
Eli has already seen the upside offered by Reynolds. Final game of the season he saw the skyline. Last week the remnants of that hit had him looking up at the ceiling of an operating theatre
:funnypost:
Quote from: MightyGiants on April 17, 2014, 07:47:48 AM
Pat Traina tweeted yesterday that the Giants like Dallas Reynolds. They see upside with him
She said that about Matt Broha too.
I have only seen Ebron play live once and that was vs. Miami. He played well and was the games biggest threat. i don't get this no tight end in the first. Would teams give up a first for Graham, Davis, Gronk ( if healthy ) etc. Many say they would take a W.R but not a tight end, why? I am no draftnik but after 40 years of watching and playing I think I know if a guy can play. I think Ebron will be a star and the Giants will regret passing on him if that is the way it plays out.
Quote from: gregf on April 15, 2014, 09:46:07 PM
UK, what do you think of the Giants picking up one of the next tier tackle prospects in the second round to compete for the RG spot? This way they will have a plan B tackle in place if Beatty falters.Or do we draft a guard and use Charly Brown as plan B if Beatty regresses.
Joel Bitonio is a possibility in the 2nd but I don't think he'd be any better at LT than Pugh. I thought Brandon Thomas would have been an option too but he tore his ACL so that's no longer an option.
I don't really see any other collegiate Left Tackles who might project better to Guard in the next tier.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Thank you Ceri for spending so much time to post these great write-ups and analysis.
I personally prefer a blocking TE in the 4th with OK hands, than spending a high pick on a big receiver who is not really a very good one.
I would be very happy with either Gilmore or LYNCH there. You left out Arthur Lynch... Do you not consider him a good enough prospect?
Quote from: XNYrnLA on April 21, 2014, 01:27:42 AM
Thank you Ceri for spending so much time to post these great write-ups and analysis.
I personally prefer a blocking TE in the 4th with OK hands, than spending a high pick on a big receiver who is not really a very good one.
I would be very happy with either Gilmore or LYNCH there. You left out Arthur Lynch... Do you not consider him a good enough prospect?
Not a big fan of Lynch. Drops too many balls for my liking and I find it laughable that some reviews I've read of him gush about his blocking when it's plain to see he can't move anyone off the line of scrimmage and is built more like an H-Back. I would consider him to be no more than a 5th/6th rounder. Frankly I prefer
Richard Rodgers (California) if we are going to go for a one dimensional pass catcher. He'll be on my day three target list if we don't draft a TE on days one and two
You know the Giants love a tight end project. Here's one:
Justin Jones, TE East Carolina
HT/WT: 6-8, 277
"Never a full-time starter, Jones (6 feet 8, 277 pounds) nevertheless was an intriguing NFL prospect because of his size and athleticism. His vertical jump has been measured at 37.5 inches, and he also bench-pressed 400 pounds. But all that potential never really translated to the field: He finishes his ECU career with 52 receptions for 598 yards and 12 TDs in 32 games."
Ceri, got Amaro as our 2nd Rd. pick in my Mock. I know the common theme is the slaming the guy because he played split wide predominately. But I think he's more a victim of scheme then talent regarding
Blocking. Amaro's feel for finding the seam along with his outstanding Mis-match skill-set as Reciever makes him a good fit for us. He's 6'5" 265 lbs. with real good athletic ability. Reportedly, he can add bulk to his frame. I believe he can be coached up to block similar to Shockey.
There are so many receivers I am bored watching them so rather than delay this any further I'm going to publish those that I believe are potential fits for the Giants in the first two rounds and then come back to look at slot receivers and others that may fit the Giants from the third round onwards after taking a break to do the preview for LB's and edge rushers.
WIDE RECEIVERS
The talent availableThis is by far the deepest and most talented position in the draft with as many as eleven players likely to be taken in the firs two 50 rounds on merit and a smorgasbord of talent available who project to either the X,Z or slot positions. I have two players in my top 5 overall, another in my top 15, three more in my top 32, one in my top 4, two in my top 50 and two in my top 64. Were that not enough I have another two in my top 75 and three in my top 100. As WR hungry teams feast on the talent there will either be one or two who drop to much later than expected.
What do I think the Giants should do?In Victor Cruz the Giants have the perfect
impressive yahoo-sports write-up on Oregon State's Brandin Cooks. Where do you see him, Ceri? Others?
here's the piece:
"Brandin Cooks is not the No. 1 prospect in the 2014 NFL Draft. He
Quote from: President Rick on April 24, 2014, 12:42:08 PM
impressive yahoo-sports write-up on Oregon State's Brandin Cooks. Where do you see him, Ceri? Others?
I think his size limits him to being a slot receiver. He's a very good one though. I think he'll be the 4th WR off the board, probably just outside the top 20. We could be seeing a lot of him - the Eagles are amongst those known to be interested
Just one man's opinion, I think Evans would do a better job of compensating for Eli's short comings than Watkins.
I have Cody Latimer in the sixth round #187 overall on my Mock. I must preface this by saying at that point in time, Latimer did not work out at the combine due to foot surgery. Which makes him a bit of an unknown. Read encouraging reports about his overall game, but his speed and health were an unknown. Well he got healthy alright ran in the upper 4.4's on his Pro day, and wowed everybody with his performance in the field drills & other measurables!
This prospect is soaring up the board. Latest mention has him somewhere in the second round, who'd a thunk that? :o
Evans is moving up as well, very doubtfull he'll be there for us. The problem that's rearing its ugly head, is that the quarterback class is getting exposed as overrated. Herd discussion on ESPN draft show, there may not be a QB taken in the top 20, which is just plain bad news for us. We (Giants) need a couple QB Prospects to be selected ahead of us, thereby forcing OT & WR Prospects down to us at #12 overall. ~X(
RUNNING BACKS
The talent availableNot a great year for RB
I would wager that Tre Mason will be there for the taking in the third round.
TC and I only want to know one thing, can Tre Mason pick up the Blitz effectively?
Lorenzo Talliaferro sounds like an intriguing prospect and as you said a nice safety net if one of the better prospects don't fall to the Giants with their other day 3 picks
What are you thoughts on STORM JOHNSON Ceri?
Quote from: MightyGiants on April 27, 2014, 12:56:07 PM
What are you thoughts on STORM JOHNSON Ceri?
If I'd put two targets up for the 5th round he would have been the other one but I'm not sure of his 'fit' to our offense. The other guys I mentioned as targets have all been successful running the ball between the tackles whereas he is mainly an outside runner who can catch the ball and make decent yardage with it. Neither Snee or Schwartz are suited to the ZBS system he ran behind. I'm also a bit concerned at how high he runs and how loosely he holds the ball (coughed it up 5 times last year, losing 3).
I'd like Evans with the 12th pick, if available. That said, I think there will be strong options in Rounds 2, 3, 4, and possibly 5. The WR depth is very strong in this draft and after a team selects one they will certainly have to think twice before they grab a second one (save Carolina). I could see a WR slide occurring after round 2, and thru round 3 before WR selections pick up again in round 4. This could result in some productive players available late.
I look forward to "Part 2" of your WR review where I expect most of those players will be discussed.
I like Terrance West a lot. However, don't see the Giants making much more investment in the RBs this season. They will take one late and probably sign another but if we follow the dollars they will want to see Jennings and Wilson performing on the field, and hope they do that for a few years.
Lache Seastrunk and Ka'deem Carey are conspicuous in their absence from your preview. I take you don't like what either bring to the table or you believe they don't fit what you think the new offense will be
Ceri, I have Charles Sims in Rd. 4 #113 overall in my mock. Thinking he'll be a good rotational RB for us. I was not aware that he had a problem with blocking. Some of his fumbles were attributable to second effort. Both of those areas should be correctable with coaching and practice. The negatives aside, Sims technical upside & physical style makes him a good value for us. I don't put much stock in Wilson, & Cox looks disappointing. We should be able to sign a Cap friendly Vet. Yet, a mid-round selection will behoove us, especially with the distribution of talent in the RB class.
Quote from: DesG89 on April 27, 2014, 06:21:49 PM
Lache Seastrunk and Ka'deem Carey are conspicuous in their absence from your preview. I take you don't like what either bring to the table or you believe they don't fit what you think the new offense will be
Carey was reportedly given a 2nd round grade by the NFL's Draft Advisory Board and whilst he has great feet, vision and unexpected power for his size he's not a threat to break a big play, isnt much of a blocker or receiver and his workload the past two years is way too high for a smaller back. He's also had multiple OTF issues and his Combine workout was so poor I can't help but think his evaluation grade was made on the expectation that he'd at least prove to be average athletically! He might fit what we want but even dropping to day three (which is where I think he'll go) I'd steer well clear.
Seastrunk was reportedly given a 3rd round grade by the NFL's Draft Advisory Board but there are lots of things I didn't like when I looked into him further i.e. injury history, an offensive scheme that saw him run a high % of the time against nickel defenses not 7 or 8 man fronts, failure to do anything of note against good defenses and fact it looks like he's an outside type runner with bad vision, etc and you'll understand why I have concerns.
Quote from: Jaime on April 27, 2014, 10:51:39 PM
Ceri, I have Charles Sims in Rd. 4 #113 overall in my mock. Thinking he'll be a good rotational RB for us. I was not aware that he had a problem with blocking. Some of his fumbles were attributable to second effort. Both of those areas should be correctable with coaching and practice.
I remember lots of people making the same positive noises about David Wilson. Two years on he still can't block worth a damn and can't hold onto the ball either. It isn't as pronounced an issue with Sims but even with coaching you can't make his hands any bigger and that more so than any tardiness in his ball carrying technique appears to be a bigger reason why second effort leads to fumbles.
I'm hoping for Gaffney. He is an absolute battering ram. Oh yeah, he's smart & block too. Lot's of upside.
Ceri, I hope all is well with you.
I've seen Andre Williams linked to us in the later rounds. Most likely because of the strong BC connection.
Any thoughts on him as a possible fit?
Ceri - I'm glad you wrote about Mason's blitz pickup blocking. The few times I watched him, he looks like he absolutely loves to pick up the blitzer and really puts as you said his helmet into the chest of the oncoming blitzer. Additionally, he looks to sink into his stance so he doesn't get pushed back. I think he gets drafted in the second round. Unlike a lot of guys who may get picked ahead of him, Tre Mason actually played really well in the big games against the best competition. I like that attribute a lot.
Quote from: Chris on April 28, 2014, 12:16:21 PM
Ceri, I hope all is well with you.
I've seen Andre Williams linked to us in the later rounds. Most likely because of the strong BC connection.
Any thoughts on him as a possible fit?
I'm not sure what to think about Williams. On the one hand he has good vision, can find a crease and is gone plus is physically impressive & blocks very well in pass protection,. On the other hand he has so many plays where he looks slow to the line of scrimmage and was really poor at converting 3rd & short situations (just 50%) that you wonder how quick he is out of the gate and how many of those big plays were due to the massive holes he ran through. More disconcerting to me is that he got injured every single year and has absolute bricks for hands in the passing game!! Having seen a revolving door at the RB position due to injury I'd sooner not bring in someone who could never make it through a season unscathed in college!
Ceri, I was not a member of the choir that was singing praises for Wilson as a first round selection. As a rule, I'm never in favor of drafting of RB in the first round. I don't care if he's touted to be the next Jim Brown. RB's suffer a high incidence of injury. Data will back me up on this, OL have the best longevity record. If you want to get that minimum five years (or more?) out of your first-round pick go OL, the odds r in your favor.
I concur with your fears of injury regarding Williams from BC. RB's drop like flies in the NFL. Got to be healthy going in to have any shot @ sticking around.
I'm gonna stick with my guy Sims. He should be able to contribute early on ST's. Figure as a fourth round pick, he'll fit in the RB rotation later in the season (providing Blitz pickup & ball security don't hold him back?).
Ceri: do you have any opinion on Branden Oliver out of Buffalo?? 12th Man and I have been touting him as a possible late round or undrafted fa prospect the Giants may want to consider. They did have a scout at the UB Pro Day perhaps to take a closer look at Mack just in case he drops that far but I wonder if he may have had some interest in checking Oliver out. 12th Man has favorably compared Oliver to Joe Morris. Any thoughts on him??
http://www.ubbullrun.com/2014/3/3/5464780/buffalo-bulls-pro-day-branden-oliver (http://www.ubbullrun.com/2014/3/3/5464780/buffalo-bulls-pro-day-branden-oliver)
Quote from: Webster29 on April 29, 2014, 12:23:15 AM
Ceri: do you have any opinion on Branden Oliver out of Buffalo?? 12th Man and I have been touting him as a possible late round or undrafted fa prospect the Giants may want to consider. They did have a scout at the UB Pro Day perhaps to take a closer look at Mack just in case he drops that far but I wonder if he may have had some interest in checking Oliver out. 12th Man has favorably compared Oliver to Joe Morris. Any thoughts on him??
http://www.ubbullrun.com/2014/3/3/5464780/buffalo-bulls-pro-day-branden-oliver (http://www.ubbullrun.com/2014/3/3/5464780/buffalo-bulls-pro-day-branden-oliver)
Compared favouraby to Joe Morris? =)) Oh man my sides are hurting with that one. In games against teams with good athletes he averaged under 4 yards per carry in all of them over the course of his career. Has some nice cutting ability and he actually is pretty decent as a pass blocker but he can't break any tackles, lacks power and doesn't really have any special traits. He's a UDFA.
Apparently this preview is long. I tried to go back in and amend the original version so it was all on one page but it exceeded the 20k character limit so wouldn't save!
Anyways, where was I?
Quality prospects limited to the slot (so I have NO in interest in any of them)
Brandin Cooks, Oregon State (5
QUARTERBACKS
Overview: Average year. There isn
I know a little bit of Tom Savage and disagree with some of the analysis including a key fact. Savage left Rutgers on his own; he was not booted off the team by any means. They tried very hard to keep including firing the offensive coordinator who utiliized a spread offense and bought in a coordinator who ran a pro style offense which would have helped Savage had he stayed. Schiano screwed up big time by hiring the spread coordinator in my opinion and fired him quickly but not quick enough. My sons went to Rutgers at that time and I know people who know the family. It was Savage's father who convinced him to leave in the same way that Savage's older brother, also a QB, also transferred colleges.
In terms of his performance, the OL at Rutgers during the time peripd you mentioned ws much like the Giants OL this year and it's hard to make a meaningfull conclusions about the QB performance. He has a big time arm and is a vey tough kid. He is also very coachable. I've read this and agree that if he had stayed in 1 place for 4 years, he would have been a 1st round pick. As it is, I think he'll go in the 2nd round or early 3rd. His arm is that good.
Norwood was a superb blocker at Alabama. As you said, he's nothing special but somehow makes the 8 yard catch on 3rd and 7 whenever the Tide needed it.
This is one of the shortest QB draft classes I can remember.
Great write up. I feel differently about Murray but time will tell. It seemed to me he brought his team back from the dead and "won" games often, only to see his Defense give the game back in the next minute, and then was asked to work miracles in the closing minutes (Vandy scores 17 in the 4th quarter to win, although Murray was admittedly horrible inthat game; Auburn's "miracle" finish). Even the coaches voted him the preseason 1st team SEC QB over McCarron, Manziel, and Mettenburger. I also think the injuries at WR to Marshall and Scott-Wesley hurt him last season, as well as the three games Todd Gurley missed, of which they lost two. Gurley isn't just their best rusher. He is a big part of their passing game too.
Quote from: MightyGiants on May 01, 2014, 08:09:18 AM
This is one of the shortest QB draft classes I can remember.
"Shortest" in height or depth at the position?
Quote from: bamagiantfan on May 01, 2014, 09:27:14 AM
Quote from: MightyGiants on May 01, 2014, 08:09:18 AM
This is one of the shortest QB draft classes I can remember.
"Shortest" in height or depth at the position?
I meant height but both work
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