Big Blue Huddle

Here are a few reasons while no games will be played (outside of the all-star games) but the narrative around prospects will change significantly:


1) Coaching staff will get involved.  Up until the end of the season, the evaluation has come exclusively from scouts and the front office.  At the end of the season, coaches will get involved and this will change how some of the prospects are evaluated (for good or bad)

2) The Senior Bowl and Combine allow draftniks and media to mingle with teams, so what NFL personnel think of the prospects will filter out.

3) The Combine will provide measurements for the drafniks.  Most NFL teams are capable of pretty accurate estimates of what a player's Combine results will be (albeit there are always a few surprises).  Many in the draftnik community lack that skill, so the numbers generated at the Combine will cause their boards and evaluations to be adjusted.

4) Starting with the Senior Bowl, teams will finally be able to start talking to the prospects, which is an important part of the evaluation.

And remember...any time you can toss away all game film and evidence because a QB looks great in the Senior Bowl you have to do it! 

I am looking forward to seeing how things start to change.  I think Dart is going to end up moving a lot.  Given the choice of him or Milroe, Dart is more polished right now especially as a thrower.  If a team can let Milroe marinate on the bench for a season they might end up with a supreme talent.  For the Giants, I don't think they will be willing to do that since it would lead to both Daboll and Schoen getting fired after the season, so I think if they're going QB and Sanders/Ward are both gone, that's the guy they'll look at perhaps later in the 1st round even if it means a trade up from Round 2.

Quote from: Gmo11 on January 16, 2025, 10:19:00 AMAnd remember...any time you can toss away all game film and evidence because a QB looks great in the Senior Bowl you have to do it! 

I am looking forward to seeing how things start to change.  I think Dart is going to end up moving a lot.  Given the choice of him or Milroe, Dart is more polished right now especially as a thrower.  If a team can let Milroe marinate on the bench for a season they might end up with a supreme talent.  For the Giants, I don't think they will be willing to do that since it would lead to both Daboll and Schoen getting fired after the season, so I think if they're going QB and Sanders/Ward are both gone, that's the guy they'll look at perhaps later in the 1st round even if it means a trade up from Round 2.

I appreciate you are making a joke at Gettleman's and DJ's expense, but there is some value to the Senior Bowl, although I suspect less so than it used to be.   One thing that used to be great about the Senior Bowl is that it allowed prospects from smaller schools to face better competition.   I don't think this is as important these days because, with the transfer portal quality, small school prospects end up being big school prospects.

It can also be helpful to evaluate QBs like Dart.  The system at Ole Miss is considered a bit unconventional, so scouts will be able to evaluate him in the more traditional offense run at the Senior Bowl.  Of course, teams will also get a glimpse at how quickly prospects (especially QBs) pick up the new system run on the Senior Bowl.   Even this is a bit less valuable as with transfers, many QBs have played in multiple systems.

There is also what I like to call the lazy no analysis of a former NFL player now media jock who just regurgitates what another media person says and does zero analysis.

Quote from: MightyGiants on January 16, 2025, 10:06:36 AMHere are a few reasons while no games will be played (outside of the all-star games) but the narrative around prospects will change significantly:


1) Coaching staff will get involved.  Up until the end of the season, the evaluation has come exclusively from scouts and the front office.  At the end of the season, coaches will get involved and this will change how some of the prospects are evaluated (for good or bad)

2) The Senior Bowl and Combine allow draftniks and media to mingle with teams, so what NFL personnel think of the prospects will filter out.

3) The Combine will provide measurements for the drafniks.  Most NFL teams are capable of pretty accurate estimates of what a player's Combine results will be (albeit there are always a few surprises).  Many in the draftnik community lack that skill, so the numbers generated at the Combine will cause their boards and evaluations to be adjusted.

4) Starting with the Senior Bowl, teams will finally be able to start talking to the prospects, which is an important part of the evaluation.

Rich: It's a really nice, accurate post but I think this year (even more than most) we are unlikely to get any "straight" info out of the Giants' camp (if we ever have lol). The value of Pick Three is great, and if it leaks who they really want (QB or not) it will be ruined, because there is IMO at least one team ahead of them willing to trade down (maybe both, depending on how they evaluate Ward and Sanders). Bob

Quote from: Bob In PA on January 16, 2025, 11:02:00 AMRich: It's a really nice, accurate post but I think this year (even more than most) we are unlikely to get any "straight" info out of the Giants' camp (if we ever have lol). The value of Pick Three is great, and if it leaks who they really want (QB or not) it will be ruined, because there is IMO at least one team ahead of them willing to trade down (maybe both, depending on how they evaluate Ward and Sanders). Bob

Bob,

In the three years NYG has been drafting under Schoen, they have done a pretty good job keeping their thoughts and intentions hidden.  I guess the worst, in terms of info, was last year.  It was well known their desire to move up to draft a QB, and their fondness for Nabers didn't seem to be much of a secret.

Quote from: MightyGiants on January 16, 2025, 11:04:38 AMBob,

In the three years NYG has been drafting under Schoen, they have done a pretty good job keeping their thoughts and intentions hidden.  I guess the worst, in terms of info, was last year.  It was well known their desire to move up to draft a QB, and their fondness for Nabers didn't seem to be much of a secret.

Rich: Right, but this year (in any event, I would do this) they want as many false leaks about QB's they like as possible. IMO the goal should be to ensure that 2 QB's are taken before it's their turn (assuming they don't want either, which I'm almost certain they don't).

They've got to do everything they can to ensure that no one trades up to either of the top two picks to take a NON-QB. If both QB's are gone, the Giants get to draft the guy they want most (or who they think is the absolutely best player in this draft) AND maximize what they would be offered to trade down so that some other team can draft whoever that team believes is the best player in this draft.

Too Machiavellian for football? Maybe, but it has worked for teams like the Eagles, IMO.

Bob