East-West Shrine Game
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Here's TFY's report from today's practices:
01/12 Shrine Practices: Monday Report
The players took to the practices field in shorts and shoulder pads today as Shrine Game practices kicked off in Houston. Here’s a look at the good, bad and ugly from both teams.
Quarterbacks
Mike Reilly/Central Washington: Scouts and others were excited to see Reilly perform against top competition and the Central Washington passer failed to deliver. Reilly showed no arm strength, could not throw a spiral and a number of people called his performance “horrible”. He’s got a poor quarterback frame with narrow shoulders and no bulk. Was Reilly just nervous? Let’s hope so and Reilly’s got a lot riding on the line.
Tom Brandstater/Fresno State: Brandstater’s day was characterized as uneven. The Bulldog passer looked good early on then struggled late in the session.
Brian Hoyer/Michigan State: Hoyer looked solid for the most part. He was accurate and showed a good amount of arm strength.
Chase Daniel/Missouri: Daniel looked very good all day. He threw the long ball well and looked terrific passing on the move.
Hunter Cantwell/Louisville: Cantwell showed signs of promise today. It’s obvious he has been working on improving his fundamentals and he threw the ball better- though Cantwell is getting a bit mechanical in the attempt to improve his delivery. Cantwell threw several outstanding deep passes today yet was a bit erratic with his accuracy and did not throw with touch. All things considered it was a positive day for him.
Running Backs/Fullbacks
Jorvorskie Lane/Texas A&M: Lane caught the ball well in practice but looks overweight and out of shape.
Gartrell Johnson/Colorado State: Johnson looked good all day. He was explosive, ran hard in shorts and was very tough. He has several good battles going against USC safety Kevin Ellison.
Javarris Williams/Tennessee State: The small school ball carrier looked very good today. He showed a nice burst and quickness through the hole. Williams also has a solid build.
Running Backs/Tight Ends
Jared Bronson/Central Michigan: Unlike his college teammate, Bronson looked good today. He showed a lot of speed, looked athletic and caught the ball very well.
Bear Pascoe/Fresno State: The same cannot be said for Pascoe who looked slow and unathletic. Pascoe struggled getting off the line and released into routes at a snails pace.
Wide Receivers
Sammie Stroughter/Oregon State: Stroughter really stood out today. He ran good routes, caught the ball very well and made a ton of athletic/acrobatic receptions.
Jarrett Dillard/Rice: Dillard was another pass catcher who graded well. He ran precise routes, was very quick all around the field and showed great hands. Dillard also displayed surprising speed which many did not think he possessed. There were several passing comments on how small Dillard is and he was even referred to as tiny.
Mike Thomas/Arizona: Thomas also ran good routes, showed better than advertised speed and caught the ball well.
Marko Mitchell/Nevada: Mitchell looked smooth and natural catching the ball- no surprise here. We commented that he would stand out in one-on-one drills where he doesn’t have to worry about being jammed at the line or getting smashed after the catch and many agreed with us- no surprise there.
Defensive Linemen
Jarron Gilbert/San Jose State: Gilbert played tackle and looked very good. He was quick, athletic and beat his opponent in one on one drills.
Phillip Hunt/Houston: Hunt played defensive end all day and looked good. He was very athletic and quick. It will be interesting to see if Hunt gets any reps at linebacker as the week proceeds.
Michael Bennett/Texas A&M: Bennett did not look anything special today and did nothing to impress scouts.
Linebackers
Kaluka Maiava/USC: The underrated linebacker looked athletic and strong today after an impressive weigh-in.
Defensive Backs
Darcel McBath/Texas Tech: McBath started the day strong and looked athletic on the field. He reinjured his hamstring- an injury which originally occurred during the Red Raiders loss in the Cotton Bowl. There’s a chance McBath could be done for the week.
Brandon Underwood/Cincinnati: Underwood looked outstanding today. He played corner most of the day and moved very well. Underwood was fluid moving around the field and looks very athletic. He is definitely moving up draft boards and turning into one of the better defensive back sleepers in this draft.
Morgan Trent/Michigan: Trent looked solid most of the day and did a good job in coverage drills.
Brandon Hughes/Oregon State: Did not look good as he was stiff and very tight in his hips.
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Jarron Gilbert/San Jose State: Gilbert played tackle and looked very good. He was quick, athletic and beat his opponent in one on one drills.
Gilbert's a very interesting small school 3-4 DE prospect. Thanks to YouTube, he's got a lot of attention recently, primarily because of this:
It should be interesting to read how he fares against guys good enough to play in the NFL.
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Hoyer is a Cleveland kid (St. Ignatius HS, N.Olmsted), but as much as I tried to like him at Mich State, he just didn't impress enough for even a late round selection, if we wanted to go that direction. I guess I'd say he impressed at times, but was inconsistient.
Sammie Stroughter is an interesting prospect. We definately need to hit it out of the park with a WR.
I remember being impressed with Brandon Underwood's coverage skills, but keep us posted on tackling. We need the next Antonio Winfield.
Thanks for all you do in this scouting department Aloysius.
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You're welcome, guys.
@shepwrite said:
Phillip Hunt was discussed here, compared to Elvis Dumervil, right? Built low and thick for a pass rusher, but he's had like 26 sacks the last two years. Also like the defensive MVP whose name suddenly escapes me (!).I think Larry English was the guy the folks at OBR were comparing to Dumervil, but Hunt's a very similar player: a stocky pass-rusher who could surprise people by getting to the passer on Sundays.
And it's great that he's showing the athleticism to make people think he could play OLB; it'd be nice if we could turn him into a poor man's James Harrison.
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@shepwrite said:
Now COME BACK HECK!!!I second the motion...
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Morgan Trent....If anyone drafts this stiff I'd be shocked! Good luck to anyone who thinks he's impressive in the Shrine game and drafts him.
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@shepwrite said:
Stroughter's a good player. Had big sophomore and senior seasons, both over 1,000. I think he was hurt his junior year.He's like 6' and built pretty strong. I thought he'd go more like round 3... but maybe 5?
Phillip Hunt was discussed here, compared to Elvis Dumervil, right? Built low and thick for a pass rusher, but he's had like 26 sacks the last two years. Also like the defensive MVP whose name suddenly escapes me (!).
Sammie Stroughter/Oregon State:
Sammie will be a freaking great PRO...book it. Ido we still have a third? He would make a tremendous late second ~ 3rd rounder!
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Gartrell Johnson/Colorado State
Sammie Stroughter/Oregon State
Phillip Hunt/Houston
Brandon Underwood/Cincinnati
Kaluka Maiava/USC
Guys that interest me. I really like those first 3.
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@shepwrite said:
Maiava is like 230 pounds, max. He's a 4-3 OLB. Not a fit at all.Maiava's a bit of a tweener: too small to play 3-4 ILB, but maybe not quick/athletic enough to be a good Tampa 2 OLB - he tends to get a little grabby in coverage, which I'm guessing is his way of compensating.
Then again, Maiava is said to have had "an impressive weigh-in" yesterday. If he's bulked up to 240 or so, I could see him playing Mike in a 3-4. Could be an interesting guy to draft to play specials & be DQ's backup.
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Here's another report from yesterday's practices:
Shrine Bowl practice notes from Monday
East Practice
* Louisville QB Hunter Cantwell showed a very strong arm, but was admonished by his position coach to "get it out of there" which was a reference to his somewhat slow release. While Cantwell was solid in the pocket, he was way off target on a few throws when he had to throw on the move outside of the pocket.
* LSU safety Curtis Taylor looks the part, but struggled at times in coverage as scouts expected. Taylor doesn't have very good instincts and it showed when he was forced to cover in one on one drills.
* I'm very interested in Richmond DE Lawrence Sidbury. In one on one pass protection drills, Sidbury showed some pretty good quickness off of the edge and I will be paying much closer attention to him as the week progresses.
* Michigan CB Trent Morgan struggled in coverage during one on one drills which won't help him since scouts were down on him headed into these practices anyway.
* Iowa CB Bradley Fletcher is a big at 6'0 / 200 and he held his own in one on one drills. It's early, but he flashed some decent instincts out there today.
* Rutgers safety Courtney Greene had a solid day of practice and really looked like a player who plays with great confidence out there.
* South Carolina LB Jasper Brinkley looks awfully big to be a MLB. I'm interested to see if he is asked to take some snaps as a pass rusher so teams can get a look at him as a potential OLB in a 3-4. I don't think he has that kind of edge speed, but it would be interesting to see.
* Memphis DT Clinton McDonald was WAY too quick for offensive linemen to handle in one on one drills. McDonald's "get off" was exceptionally quick and he was my favorite player to watch on the defensive side for the East. He has the motor and the quicks to catch the eyes of scouts this week, but he's a little small at 289 pounds.
* Kent State tackle Augustus Parrish really struggled in pass protection thanks to poor technique and footwork.
* Iowa guard Seth Olsen had the best day of the offensive linemen in my opinion. He was terrific against speed rushers and bull rushers and he showed a nice ability to get to the next level on LBs.
* There were a few interesting battles between Big 10'ers Matt Schaughnessy (DE, Wisconsin) and Alex Boone (LT, Ohio State) with Schaughnessy winning one, Boone winning one and one was too close to call.
West Practice
* Texas DT Roy Miller looked very quick off the snap and played with a low pad level and with good leverage in one on one drills.
* Oklahoma WR Manuel Johnson didn't disappoint in practice as he gave DBs a very tough time with double moves and with the deep routes.
* I'm not sure what USC safety Kevin Ellison was cranky about, but he was letting people know where he was all day long during the scrimmage portion. He wasn't afraid to give players love taps..... including TCU running back Aaron Brown who got knocked on his butt by Ellison despite the fact that the practice was supposed to be limited contact. Maybe Ellison was cranky because had his issues in coverage.
* Arizona WR Mike Thomas made quite a few nice catches and I thought he did a nice job of flashing some ability today.
* Fresno State QB Tom Brandstater was much more inconsistent than I expected today and needs to show much more over the next three days.
* Javorskie Lane from Texas A&M weighed in at a whopping 295 which is too bad because the FB had two terrific one handed catches that showed off his underrated hands. Lane's weight is a huge turnoff to scouts in attendance who have all but written him off as a draftable prospect.
* Oregon State WR Sammie Stroughter had problems with drops in the one on one portion of the practice.
* TCU LB Jason Phillips was physical in both the scrimmage and at the line of scrimmage getting jams on TEs during the one on one drills.
* I wasn't particularly impressed with Boise RB Ian Johnson's quickness, but it is tough for RBs early in the week as there aren't great running lanes as offensive linemen are learning to play together.
* Oklahoma center Jon Cooper weighed in much lighter than teams had hoped, but he showed toughness throughout the practice.
* Baylor RT Dan Gay shocked scouts by weighing in at 314 rather than in the 290 range where they expected to see them. In case you were wondering, 314 was a pleasant surprise. Gay had a solid day in pass protection.
* BYU guard Ray Feinga caught my eye during one on one drills with his aggressiveness and strength.
* I've spoken with three scouts who all have higher grades on Texas A&M DE Michael Bennett than the national publications do. Bennett's combination of strength and quickness excites team, but there are some questions about his attitude.
* Rice WR Jarett Dillard put on a show in one on one drills. Dillard was so crisp with his routes that CBs had no prayer of staying with him on the short to medium range routes and he turned more than one defender completely around. It will be interesting to see how Dillard does if he is pressed at the line of scrimmage because getting off of press coverage is supposed to be his weakness. I look for Dillard to win over scouts/coaches this week and move up to the 5th round. Remember that his grade will improve even more if he can run a good 40 time, but teams don't see him as a special teams player which hurts his stock a little bit.
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clinton mcdonald (DT, memphis) sounds to be tailor-made for a one-gap 3-4. a great burst on a biggish guy who weighs in at 290? look for the cowboys, steelers or ravens to snap him up. i'd say we should go after him, which i think we should based on this small report, but it's not indicated whether he's also strong or if he's just fast. either way, 3-4 teams looking to get a penetrating end will likely be interested in him. the pats might also take a look even though they play a two-gap.
i'm disappointed to hear ellison (S, USC) isn't doing well. he's a hitter who's great in run support. how unforgivable is losing your temper during practice? not so much in the 'on one play' or 'for a couple minutes' vein, but losing focus and being a bully for an entire day? it seems like the kind of thing that speaks to massive immaturity and uncoachability, the kind of thing that will drop a kid off a team's radar.
i'd like to see schaughnessy (DE/OLB, wisconsin) go up against someone who's not from the big 10. it's hard for me to trust big 10 talent when it's not been tested against guys from the superior conferences (pac 10, big 12, SEC).
it's interesting that courtney greene (S, rutgers) has returned to form in practices after a down season. he was supposed to be one of the premier safeties in college football but had massive coverage issues, particularly against louisville where he got burned deep on the regular.
depending on his grade/expected round, we'd be foolish not to look at bradley fletcher (CB, iowa). it's been said we need size at corner, and size at corner he has.
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Didn't like what I saw of McDonald in Memphis's bowl game. But it's hard to look good when your team loses 41-14.
I like Shaughnessy, but as a 4-3 DE. Don't think he's got the hips to make the transition to 3-4 OLB.
And according to nfldraftscout, Bradley Fletcher is expected to go undrafted. Could be a nice sleeper prospect.
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Gilyard's a rJunior. I haven't heard anything about him draft-wise.
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More from yesterday:
QB:
- Michigan State's Brian Hoyer was clearly the best passer on the day, showing nice zip and fair accuracy on most of his throws.
- East-West Shrine Monday practice: Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel had issues with accuracy in throws to all levels.
- Stephen McGee looks to be a prisoner of circumstance at Texas A&M. Although he has to step into his throws more often, his size and zip on the ball validated teams' belief he can be a late-round pick.
- Northwestern's Tyrell Sutton showed some short area quickness carrying or catching the ball and looked to be over his wrist injury.
- TCU back/receiver/returner Aaron Brown displayed a burst after reaching the line that scouts have seen all season…they just don't know how he will fit into their offensive system.
- Running back Marlon Lucky didn't get a lot of work in Nebraska's offense this week but looked very good as a receiver and a one-cut-and-go runner today.
- Colorado State RB Gartrell Johnson ran for 287 yards in his team's bowl game but his lack of speed or quickness was exposed today. The speed of his wheel routes could have been measured with a calendar. His attempts to catch the ball downfield were brutal.
- Jorvorski Lane, A&M's 290 pound fullback actually showed soft hands today, as well as the ability to pound defenders while carrying the ball.
- Receiver Jarrett Dillard looked right at home on the practice field (Rice University is literally right down the road from Reliant, after all), not dropping a single pass whether downfield or in traffic over the middle. He was the best receiver for either team today.
- Arizona's Mike Thomas and Oregon State's Sammie Stroughter were as expected, small but quick and tough. Thomas caught the ball with his hands more consistently then Stroughter, however.
- Tall Clemson WR Aaron Kelly is slight and lacking great speed, but he did make a nice leaping grab while falling out of bounds on the right sideline in 7-on-7's.
- Penn State's Deon Butler doesn't look like much on the field and let some balls into his body but he flashed impressive quickness on out routes and in the slot.
- Fresno State's Bear Pascoe struggled to get off the line of scrimmage and could not separate from any linebacker at the second level, making it tough for the quarterback to even try to throw the ball to him.
- Northeastern tight end Brian Mandeville is tall and thin, but he found a way to beat linebackers on the line, put good effort into pass protection and actually crashed down on DE Sidbury on a running plays, pushing him down the line a few yards. Ellerbe tossed him aside on one play, however, bringing him back to earth a bit.
- Jamon Meredith played left tackle and guard at South Carolina, but his strong punch and good foot work at right tackle opened some eyes.
- Seth Olsen (Iowa) flat-out dominated his man at times using strength and good hand technique.
- BYU guard Travis Bright struggled against speed inside, getting beat off the snap in one-on-ones without even having his hand on the ground.
- San Jose State DT/DE Jarron Gilbert displayed quickness and length (he's 6'6") inside. As you'd expect, however, he could be moved easily by double teams.
- Terrance Taylor was the d-line coach's whipping boy during one-on-one drills. Taylor's inability to get off a block or get past his man brought more than a little tongue lashing.
- Tall, massive Sammie Lee Hill (Stillman College) has raw talent, to be sure, and showed an ability to bull rush…but that was about it. He seemed to take to coaching well, however, as he used a spin move to beat his man later on.
- DE Phillip Hunt used his lack of height to get leverage and get under the shoulder on pass rushes against taller left tackles. However, he found it difficult to disengage to tackle the ballcarrier coming his way.
- Wisconsin's Matt Shaughnessy once again failed to show a burst, but consistently used his strong hands to get past Ohio State's Alex Boone.
- Missouri end Stryker Sulak had similar issues as DE Lawrence Sidbury, displaying his nice upfield pass rush in drills but also showed he has some work to do using his hands to get free from his man.
- A couple of scouts were heard talking about TCU inside linebacker Jason Phillips, both basically saying he "just makes plays." His physical handling of running backs over the middle took away the QB's safety valve.
- Cal's Worrell Williams looked pretty small among his defensive bretheren but was very active, as usual.
- Georgia linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, who played in the middle as a senior but was at the sam 'backer position, could be one of the few players sneaking into the third round of the draft. He played very strong at the line of scrimmage, delivering a nice punch to knock his guy off his route, and covering the flat against the tight ends and running backs.
- BC's Robert Francois displayed strength in coverage, although he will struggle to stay with quick ballcarriers in space.
- Duke's Michael Tauiliili was eaten up by interior linemen inside but did fill the hole nicely when his tackles kept him free.
- Western Illinois linebacker Jason Williams is a well-built prospect that showed some pop playing inside and willingness to be physical at the point of attack.
- The most impressive corner on the East squad was Iowa's Bradley Fletcher. He used his length to knock away one pass to the sideline and high-pointing a deep ball for an interception in 7-on-7 drills.
- The West cornerbacks could be the top position group on either team. Texas' Ryan Palmer was consistently in the jersey of receiver Mike Thomas, who does not lack quickness. Palmer plays much stronger than his size indicates.
- Brandon Hughes (Oregon State) and Ryan Mouton (Hawaii) are similarly built players who also broke up passes and played more physically than you'd expect for their size.
- Cary Harris from USC, who may be the top prospect of the group, didn't do anything outstanding or poor on the day.
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Agreed.
And Jamon Meredith looks like an ideal replacement for Shaffer. He's a very athletic lineman who would've been a bigger prospect had he not sparred with his head coach.
If we somehow get an additional Round 2/3 pick, he'd certainly be a guy to consider. If he slid to Round 4, I'd be elated if we got him.
EDIT: Here's a brief scouting report on Meredith:
Positives: Good height with long arms and an athletic build, typical of top-tier left tackles. ... Adequate punch, and will extend his arms and get his hands on the numbers to keep defenders at bay. ... Gets to linebackers at the second level very well and hits the moving target. ... Able to adjust to oncoming defenders in space. ... Positions himself to seal the edge using quick feet and good hand placement. ... Can cut-block defensive ends on his side to give the quarterback a lane on quick throws.
Negatives: A bit slow to move his feet at times, relying on his length too much. ... Other times he drops back too far, allowing the end to twist inside untouched. ... Plays a bit tall in pass protection. ... Struggles to reach down to block to the guard when he doesn't explode from his stance. ... Could sustain blocks better in space.
He's 6'5" and weighs around 300 lbs. If we fully commit to a Alex Gibbs-style ZBS (there's a rumor Mangini is trying to hire Tom Cable), Meredith would seem to be a good fit at RT.
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Olsen's going to be a Day Two guy, so it's okay if his size/weight isn't ideal. And depending on our blocking scheme, 6'5"/305 may be okay.
If we got a Gibbs-style ZBS, his size is actually perfect. For comparison, Denver and Houston's RG's are 6'4"/302 and 6'5"/295.
And because he's a Ferentz guy, Olsen already knows how to play in a ZBS.
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From what I understand (and could be wrong about), most teams utilize at least some zone blocking, and the Pats are known to use a good deal of it.
However, they're not like the Broncos or Texans, who emphasize it to the point that they target undersized, athletic lineman. When Alex Gibbs was with the Falcons, he actually forced his o-linemen to keep their weight under 300 lbs.
The Patriots' guys are a little bigger: Logan Mankins goes 6'4", 310; Joe Andruzzi played at 6'3", 315.
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Here's a report from Tuesday's practices:
Quarterbacks
Brian Hoyer/Michigan
For all intensive purposes Hoyer is the best quarterback in Houston. He showed good arm strength, puts a lot of spin on his passes and has garnered the attention of scouts. Hoyer has already met with a dozen teams, the Carolina Panthers showing the most interest.
Hunter Cantwell/Louisville
The reviews for Cantwell were a bit mixed today but for the most part positive. He's got an NFL arm- there's no doubt about it- and was able to get the deep pass downfield. Cantwell is still a bit slow in his decision making, more than likely due to the fact he's still thinking about throwing with proper fundamentals. He may also be a bit banged up as Cantwell seems to be struggling with an elbow injury.
Mike Reilly/Central Washington
It was another tough day for the small school passer as Reilly really did not look much better today. He was inaccurate and displayed marginal arm strength. Reilly seemed to be pressing, was short arming his motion in an effort to get some steam on his throws and passes were getting away from him. The wind did kick up from time to time which made it a little difficult for the signal callers but overall it was not a good performance.
Tom Brandstater/Fresno State
Brandstater looked solid for the most part. He's a big, smooth passer with a fluid delivery. Brandstater threw several nice passes today yet the further out to the flanks or down the field he tossed the ball the less accurate he was.
Stephen McGee/Texas A&M
McGee had a much better day. He looked very athletic, set up in the pocket with quick feet and showed off a smooth release. His passing today was significantly better than Monday.
Tight Ends/Wide Receivers
Sammie Stroughter/Oregon State
Stroughter had another solid day, looking very smooth and dropping only a single pass all afternoon.
Jared Bronson/Central Washington
Bronson continued to grade out well. Besides catching the ball well today his blocking also looked good, which is important. Bronson had several pancake blocks in one-on-one drills and in one instance knocked Cal linebacker Anthony Felder on his back.
Offensive Linemen
Fenuki Tupou/Oregon
Tupou looked good at left tackle, displaying solid feet and movement skills. The best part about his game is scouts feel Tupou has the potential to play a number of blocking positions including right tackle or guard.
Sebastian Vollmer/Houston
Vollmer was a late addition to the roster and is making the most of his opportunity. He's a big man at almost 6-feet 8-inches yet moves very well, looks athletic on the field and bends his knees then blocks with balance. The German born prospect is still relatively raw but can play at the next level. He's elevated his draft stock several rounds the past two days.
Defensive Line
Jarron Gilbert/San Jose State
Hands down Gilbert has been the class of the field from both squads. He was killing guys all afternoon as his talent level superceded that of any other player on either team. There's no doubt Gilbert has improved his draft stock in the early going- it'll be interesting to see if they squeeze him into next weeks Senior Bowl.
Linebackers
Victor Butler/Oregon State
The Beavers defensive end was used at linebacker today and struggled. So much so the word used to describe his play was "invisible".
Defensive Backs
Ryan Palmer/Texas
Palmer has looked solid the past two days. He's fluid moving about the field and has shown good feet and hips besides top ball skills.
Bradley Fletcher/Iowa
Fletcher has really caught the attention of scouts in Houston. Physically he is impressive and Bradley has made a number of plays on the field the past two days.
Carey Harris/USC
Harris has played well and has played with fire. In one snap today he took on the much larger Gartrell Johnson and put the big Colorado State runner down for the count.
Notes
- Another defensive back was lost today as Kevin Ellison decided to pack it in with an injury he's been suffering with since late in the season. Cornerback Glover Quin of New Mexico has been brought in to replace Darcel McBath and and will play safety. They are now looking for another replacement at safety.
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