Prospects to Watch
-
i like the bob sanders comparison quite a bit, too. he's absolutely elite. mays' size and lack of injury history should rule out sanders-like durability concerns.
teams do tend to pick high-INT guys at safety in the top 10. a ballhawk is incredibly valuable to have in the secondary, especially a guy who can patrol center field and come down with the ball. however, it's hard to overlook having an enforcer like mays back there. even if he doesn't get a ton of picks, he'll likely break up passes because he damn near decapitates people.
there's also the possibility of bringing him on blitzes, something that should terrify every quarterback.
i agree about curry's floor being quite high. i think mays' may be something around chuck cecil, though cecil did have 16 picks in 95 career games.
i don't think there's really a bad pick between the two; it just comes down to preference. i've seen mays play more, therefore i'm more comfortable with him. plus, he's a flashy, exciting pick. and a tribseman.
i like the bob sanders comparison quite a bit, too. he's absolutely elite. mays' size and lack of injury history should rule out sanders-like durability concerns.
Good point about the durability concerns.
But just to play a little devil's advocate, I feel like Mays' size may prevent him from doing a lot of the stuff Sanders does in the run game. Sanders' small stature actually seems to help him avoid getting knocked around by o-lineman. He roves around the D a lot like a short RB does in the backfield. Plus, he's got elite agility (6.70 3-Cone) and short-area quickness (3.95 short shuttle), something that Mays may not have - FWIW, he was timed at 4.33 in the shuttle in HS.
And it would've been nice to have seen Mays play a little less centerfield & a little more in the box this year. You probably watched more USC games than I did, but I don't remember noticing him making play after play near the line of scrimmage in any of the games I watched.
teams do tend to pick high-INT guys at safety in the top 10. a ballhawk is incredibly valuable to have in the secondary, especially a guy who can patrol center field and come down with the ball. however, it's hard to overlook having an enforcer like mays back there. even if he doesn't get a ton of picks, he'll likely break up passes because he damn near decapitates people.
Just added PD/PBU stats above. Mays' aren't as good as Sanders', but they're trending upwards, which is a good sign.
there's also the possibility of bringing him on blitzes, something that should terrify every quarterback.
i agree about curry's floor being quite high. i think mays' may be something around chuck cecil, though cecil did have 16 picks in 95 career games.
i don't think there's really a bad pick between the two; it just comes down to preference. i've seen mays play more, therefore i'm more comfortable with him. plus, he's a flashy, exciting pick. and a tribseman.
I wonder if Al Davis cares about that. I know that he attends services on the high holidays (he has a seat reserved in the front row & no one's allowed to speak to him...seriously); maybe he can take Taylor next year. I'd be happy with either Curry or Mays. Same deal as you: I've watched more of Curry, so I'm more comfortable with him.
The only thing that concerns me at all about Curry is that he may be a little tight-hipped. I've seen him get juked a few more times than I'd like, though I've also seen him make some great open field tackles.
As long as he has a good 3-cone time, I don't think it's a serious concern.
-
As I stated in the Rey Who thread...the problem I saw with Mays was that he is looking so much for the BIG HIT that he forgets to wrap up with his arms.
I don't know if it is indicative of the way he always plays or not, but the guy I saw in the first half was lowering his shoulder and leading with it....and leaving his arms down...so players were able to bounce off him on at least 2 big gains (one for a TD). To me, a safety that can deliver the BIG HIT is great...but his first responsibility is to act as the LAST LINE OF THE DEFENSE...which makes good tackling technique a PREMIUM. I didn't see that yesterday.
Still, if I have a chance for Curry, Maualuga and Mays at #5 (with no trade down)...I have to go Curry. He has great potential (as high as the other 2 IMHO), but has a much higher floor due to better techniques (and less emphasis on the BIG HIT).
As I stated in the Rey Who thread...the problem I saw with Mays was that he is looking so much for the BIG HIT that he forgets to wrap up with his arms.
That is kind of the same problem Rey has.
-
Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Texas Longhorns
January 5, 2009
Ohio St. vs. Texas
Pre-Game: 5:40 p.m. MST
Kick Off: 6:00 p.m. MST (8:00pm ET)
TV: FOX Sports
Two guys who I would keep an eye on Monday Night
One thing I have noticed in Laurinaitis, is that a couple of years ago he woukd have a hard time covering TE's. But over the past 2 years he really has mastered that part of the game. Lets see how he matches up Monday night. He would be a great addition to our LB corp.
James Laurinaitis Ohio State LB Highlight Video
the second would be Malcolm Jenkins. he should be a first rounder and has amazing talent. he would be a great addition to our secondary.
CB Malcolm Jenkins Highlights OSU vs USC 9/13/08
-
Marcus Freeman is the guy I'd be watching for OSU. That guy makes more big plays than Laurinaitis
Masters said:
Marcus Freeman is the guy I'd be watching for OSU. That guy makes more big plays than LaurinaitisI think Freeman was invisible tonight. Although he was dropping into coverage a lot and he didn't have much run support to worry about. Not a showcase game, but I don't think it will hurt him.
-
@shepwrite said:
Laurinaitis will NOT be on the Browns radar to go next to DQJ. He's not that kind of enforcer and he isn't big enough. Curry will rank WAY ahead of him.Laurinaitis doesn't get credit like some others because of how Heacock uses him. He is very solid in pass coverage and is alwyas in position to make plays. He's a very smart backer but probably better suited for a 4-3 scheme.
I think Curry is the best LB coming out and he can play in the 3-4 and 4-3. He is as close to a can't miss then anybody in the draft. Put him next to Jackson and I think you got some very good run support.
-
@shepwrite said:
Laurinaitis will NOT be on the Browns radar to go next to DQJ. He's not that kind of enforcer and he isn't big enough. Curry will rank WAY ahead of him.James Laurinaitis
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 240 pounds
D'Qwell Jackson
Height: 6-0
Weight: 240 pounds
And what were you saying Laurinaitis is not big enough or is it he isnt dark enough?
Get rid of the stereotyping your players, Laurinaitis, is an all around Football Player and if we sign him then we can say we have 2 Fottball players, that would be Laurinaitis & Cribbs.
-
@shepwrite said:
Laurinaitis will NOT be on the Browns radar to go next to DQJ. He's not that kind of enforcer and he isn't big enough. Curry will rank WAY ahead of him.James Laurinaitis
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 240 pounds
D'Qwell Jackson
Height: 6-0
Weight: 240 pounds
And what were you saying Laurinaitis is not big enough or is it he isnt dark enough?
Get rid of the stereotyping your players, Laurinaitis, is an all around Football Player and if we sign him then we can say we have 2 Fottball players, that would be Laurinaitis & Cribbs.
-
Wait, Shep. I'm missin somethin here.
James Laurinaitis
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 240 pounds
Curry is the same height, and only 6 lbs heavier, allegedly.
Curry is that much bigger ... how?
and Orakpo is the same height, at 255. and Laurinaitis and Orakpo are better
at diagnosing plays. allegedly.
-
mz. said:
...What the fcuk is wrong with you?
did you read the whole post or did you just digest what you wanted to?
.............Get rid of the stereotyping your players, Laurinaitis, is an all around Football Player and if we sign him then we can say we have 2 Fottball players, that would be Laurinaitis & Cribbs.
-
mz. said:
...What the fcuk is wrong with you?
did you read the whole post or did you just digest what you wanted to?
.............Get rid of the stereotyping your players, Laurinaitis, is an all around Football Player and if we sign him then we can say we have 2 Fottball players, that would be Laurinaitis & Cribbs.
did you read the whole post or did you just digest what you wanted to?
.............Get rid of the stereotyping your players, Laurinaitis, is an all around Football Player and if we sign him then we can say we have 2 Fottball players, that would be Laurinaitis & Cribbs.
I read the whole post, though I'm not sure why I'm reading any of yours at this point...
-
mz the pussy, stick a cork in it. You are trying to start crap over here, too?
Why don't you just talk football, and stop with the personal crap ?
Laurinaitis is a hell of a football player. I wouldn't say he's the best lb out there,
but he is easily a top 15 pick, I suppose.
I'd take a very talented INTENSE football player over a super talented prima donna playing for the $$$ every time.
Personally, I can see the Browns trading down, drafting Mathews or Laurinaitis with a later first rounder,
and then picking a RT and Orakpo in the second.
Not many big dlinemen in this draft. I'm tired of the Browns never trading down significantly and getting some extra picks.
This needs to be the year, I don't care how highly rated Curry is.
I wouldn't underestimate Laurinaitis - he isn't A.J. Hawk, but he deserves to be a high or midrange first rounder.
-
mz the pussy, stick a cork in it. You are trying to start crap over here, too?
Why don't you just talk football, and stop with the personal crap ?
Laurinaitis is a hell of a football player. I wouldn't say he's the best lb out there,
but he is easily a top 15 pick, I suppose.
I'd take a very talented INTENSE football player over a super talented prima donna playing for the $$$ every time.
Personally, I can see the Browns trading down, drafting Mathews or Laurinaitis with a later first rounder,
and then picking a RT and Orakpo in the second.
Not many big dlinemen in this draft. I'm tired of the Browns never trading down significantly and getting some extra picks.
This needs to be the year, I don't care how highly rated Curry is.
I wouldn't underestimate Laurinaitis - he isn't A.J. Hawk, but he deserves to be a high or midrange first rounder.
mz the pussy, stick a cork in it. You are trying to start crap over here, too?
Why don't you just talk football, and stop with the personal crap ?
Laurinaitis is a hell of a football player. I wouldn't say he's the best lb out there,
but he is easily a top 15 pick, I suppose.
I'd take a very talented INTENSE football player over a super talented prima donna playing for the $$$ every time.
Personally, I can see the Browns trading down, drafting Mathews or Laurinaitis with a later first rounder,
and then picking a RT and Orakpo in the second.
Not many big dlinemen in this draft. I'm tired of the Browns never trading down significantly and getting some extra picks.
This needs to be the year, I don't care how highly rated Curry is.
I wouldn't underestimate Laurinaitis - he isn't A.J. Hawk, but he deserves to be a high or midrange first rounder.
Cal, I think mz the pussy whole point to Mr T was him throwing in the whole "he ain't black enough for you" thing into his post.
-
I caught that. But it isn't the first time, and not just T.
Although, T didn't have to say that either, T and I tend to PM
on stuff...
-
Okay, now that I got your attention on the whole darkness post
just wany to mention that you cannot write off Laurinaitis, he played his ass of the other night and showed that he can be used as an everydown LB. In the past I have been critical of his play and even questioned why he was even on the field during 3rd downs. He Laurinaitis has improved his gameplay to where I wouldn't complain with us drafting him 5th overall.
And that is not a homer move.
got it? there is darkness everywhere.
-
Quick hits on some of the prospects I've mentioned in this thread:
- Boo Robinson, DT, Wake Forest (rJunior): Showed enough athleticism for me to think he could play 3-4 DE, though he doesn't fit the typical physical profile (6'2", 325 lbs.). If he declares, he could be an interesting Day Two option.
- Gartrell Johnson, RB, Colorado State: Gartrell looked phenomenal in his bowl game. He displayed great vision and did a good job of following his blockers for very long gains. That said, it was obvious that he lacks the long-speed to take it to the house in the NFL.
I wouldn't mind us expending a late-round choice on this guy. He could be the third, short-yardage back in a RBBC rotation.
- Clinton McDonald, DT, Memphis: Scott Wright was wrong about McDonald being a 3-4 guy. Not only does Clinton look shorter than 6'2", he doesn't appear to have the strength to take on double teams. I was also expected the interior pass-rusher (7 sacks) to be a little quicker - I guess there's a reason why McDonald's a late Round 5/early Round 6 prospect.
- Nate Allen, FS, USF (Junior): I mentioned in my pre-game report that I hadn't seen Allen make a lot of plays. Unfortunately, Allen didn't do anything to change that perception on Saturday. He even missed a few tackles.
Allen needs to spend another year refining his skills before entering the NFL. If he declares, I hope the Browns pass on him.
- Dennis Pitta, TE, BYU (Junior): The athletic pass-catching TE will have a tough decision to make. He's been projected to be drafted as high as Round 2, but an MCL sprain has hobbled him for much of the second half of the season, possibly dropping his draft stock.
Pitta barely played in his bowl game. If he's not healthy enough to play now, then he probably will have trouble running through the training regimen necessary to look good at the Combine. My guess: Pitta returns for his senior season.
- Austin Collie, WR, BYU (Junior): Collie made one of the best catches I've ever seen, only for the refs to overturn it upon review. The sure-handed receiver did a lot to impress scouts in the first half, but he was far less impressive in the second half. He made what would have been costly fumble deep in BYU's own territory (it was turned into an incompletion on review), dropped a deep ball when his vision was temporarily blocked by a DB, and - most importantly - he waited on what could have been a TD pass instead of fighting for it, therereby resulting in an INT.
Collie's got great hands, but I'm a little skeptical about his NFL upside. He's Hines Ward without the physical style of play.
-
Eben Britton, LT, Arizona (rJunior): I was wrong to call Britton a mauling-style OT. After watching him closely last night, I'd say he's more a finesse blocking type, albeit with elite skills. I saw him compared on another board to Joe Thomas - that's a fairly good comparison. Britton's got a wider base and may not have feet as good as JT's, but he's a great pass-blocker; BYU's Jan Jorgensen never got close to Arizona's QB. However, Britton won't be dominant in the run game, and he may benefit from spending another year in college bulking up.
If he declares, Britton should be a 1st Round pick. And considering that he played RT last season, I can think of crazier things than us trading down in Round 1, finding our defensive targets all taken, and taking Britton to solidify our o-line.
- Mike Thomas, WR, Arizona: I hate this kid. Really. He started the game by dropping an easy catch, getting stripped of the ball (though the refs whistled the play dead), and botching a punt return. And when his coach got in his face about it, he pushed his coach away. This small receiver's got a Steve Smith mentality, but he's not nearly good enough for us to have to put up with his crap. Fortunately, we've already got a guy with a similar skillset (Syndric Steptoe), so we probably won't be taking a flier on this guy late in the draft.
Aloysius said:
[*]Eben Britton, LT, Arizona (rJunior): I was wrong to call Britton a mauling-style OT. After watching him closely last night, I'd say he's more a finesse blocking type, albeit with elite skills. I saw him compared on another board to Joe Thomas - that's a fairly good comparison. Britton's got a wider base and may not have feet as good as JT's, but he's a great pass-blocker; BYU's Jan Jorgensen never got close to Arizona's QB. However, Britton won't be dominant in the run game, and he may benefit from spending another year in college bulking up.If he declares, Britton should be a 1st Round pick. And considering that he played RT last season, I can think of crazier things than us trading down in Round 1, finding our defensive targets all taken, and taking Britton to solidify our o-line.
[*] Mike Thomas, WR, Arizona: I hate this kid. Really. He started the game by dropping an easy catch, getting stripped of the ball (though the refs whistled the play dead), and botching a punt return. And when his coach got in his face about it, he pushed his coach away. This small receiver's got a Steve Smith mentality, but he's not nearly good enough for us to have to put up with his crap. Fortunately, we've already got a guy with a similar skillset (Syndric Steptoe), so we probably won't be taking a flier on this guy late in the draft.
Britton declared and hired Tom Condon. He could be a nice pickup for the Browns in round 2 if he lasts that far, which by all accounts, is possible right now.
And I have to say that I completely disagree with your take on Mike Thomas and his comparison to Syndric Steptoe. Mike thomas is actually one of the more likable guys on the team. Mike Stoops -- a noted disciplinarian -- didn't really act on Thomas after the shove. Thomas still played and set the all time record for receptions in the Pac-10. Why was he not benched? If you know Mike Thomas and his relationship with his coaches, you will know why.
From being at countless practices, I know there are certain players he would never expect that from and one has to be Thomas. Acceptable to shove a coach? Absolutely not, but thomas is far from a hot head and FAR from Steve Smith in terms of attitude. Trust me - a one time deal.
Plus, he is MUCH better than Steptoe. Much better on his feet, can create yards better after the catch, he's a better return guy and despite that game against BYU, he is usually as reliable of a WR as you are going to find.
-
I posted this elsewhere, but it got washed away in the midst of all the new coaching hires and I wanted to see if anyone agreed with me or thought I was crazy...
Regarding Javon Ringer, I would stay away from him early on. He's basically the same height/weight/40 time as Darius Walker, a guy who went undrafted after being projected in the mid-rounds because scouts didn't like his measurables (he ran a bad 40 at the combine.)
I realize they aren't exactly comparable when comparing their college statistics (Ringer had a huge career, with huge averages per carry in his first 3 years, rounded off by 1500 yards and 20 touchdowns this year.) But when it comes to the measurables, they're very similar. I'm not sure Ringer will be running over, around, or thru many people in the NFL.
And everytime I've looked at Knowshon Moreno the past 3 years, I've seen...Cadillac Williams. The running style seems to exact to me, but maybe it's just the southeastern football all blending together. Their size/weights are similar as are their 40 times, but Moreno may be the better all around RB (i.e., blitz pickup.) But shit, I'd take a healthy, pre-injury Cadillac Williams any day.
Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.
Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (either via email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks and upvote posts to show your appreciation to other community members.
With your input, this post could be even better 💗
Register Login