Clowney Recently Ran Sub 4.5 40-Yard Dash

miktoxic

i thought he had some sort of degenerate neck or spine issue?

all i know is the scouts who have somehow talked to him said do not even play a down this year in college, sit it out for whatever reason (prob health) and he'd be guaranteed #1 pick.

everyone that knows calls me a downer and a pessimist. these kids that do great in college are not guaranteed to do great in the NFL and one great hit does not make a great college career.

either way we will be rolling the dice once again. but i really doubt that we'll be drafting DE with our first pick next year with what we did in FA this year and with sheard and mingo set to rock.

MLD Woody

@canton-mike said:

That kid's an animal & whoever has the 1st pick next year is gonna have a LOT of trade opportunities (if he stays healthy & out of trouble). It appears he is one of those players who comes around once every 20 years or so. His hit AND fumble recovery on Denard Robinson last year was CRAZY! He'll be fun to watch until & unless he plays against us.

Mike

It wasn't on Denard Robinson, it was on Vincent Smith, one of our halfbacks. The play was the result of a blown assignment by our TE so no one blocked Clowney. Taylor Lewan pretty much held Clowney in check all game.

He's still a monster though

ballpeen

The guy has been a man mountain since his freshman year. He is going to be scary this year.

I think he will win the Heisman.

thenew23

@sheepdog said:

If by some chance we do end up with the #1 overall pick I definitely wouldn't be objected to taking him. Of course that is dependent upon how Weeden performs this year (I think he show marked improvement across the board and will buy himself another year). Having Clowney be one of the ends with either Kruger, Sheard or Mingo as the OLB behind him would be a dangerous combination.

I don't think we will get the #1 overall pick, we will do better than 5 wins from last year and many teams will just plain out suck, ie NYJ, Jacksonville and Oakland.

He wouldn't be a 3-4 DE... not big enough. He'd be converted to OLB in a 3-4 system...

MLD Woody

@ballpeen said:

The guy has been a man mountain since his freshman year. He is going to be scary this year.

I think he will win the Heisman.

He won't win the Heisman

jrb12711

This guy could willingly sit out this year and be a guaranteed top 3 pick. That's why I've always contended a mandatory college rule is stupid. I want to see all kids graduate high school but why college? It's the teams decision to draft a guy and the players decision to know when hes ready. Unfortunately the NCAA won't let it happen because there's too much money to lose.

tampadawgs

@mld-woody said:
He won't win the Heisman

You are correct, there is a QB at Ohio State that I think has a great chance to win the Heisman, it is all set up for him

The Gipper

@mld-woody said:
He won't win the Heisman

I don't know. There is a lot of sentiment to not just have the Heisman be a QB/RB award. If the guy stays healthy and has a monster season I think there would be a huge movement to have the first pure defensive player to win the award. (Woodson was a defender, but it helped him a lot that he was a very good return man.

I think Johnny Football will retrench a bit, and not be in the running, so this Clown has as good a chance as anyone.

If he gets hurt, then all bets are off.

The Gipper

@jrb12711 said:
This guy could willingly sit out this year and be a guaranteed top 3 pick. That's why I've always contended a mandatory college rule is stupid. I want to see all kids graduate high school but why college? It's the teams decision to draft a guy and the players decision to know when hes ready. Unfortunately the NCAA won't let it happen because there's too much money to lose.

Not true. The NCAA has no control over this rule. It is a collectively bargained rule between the NFL and the players association.

Now, maybe the motivation for the rule is to keep peace with the NCAA, but still, the NCAA has no control.

The NFL has the 3 year rule, and the NBA has the one and done rule...all collectively bargained.

They make these rules for their own protection as much as for the NCAA. The NFL does not want immature people coming into the league. They believe that if freshman and sophomores were eligible that a large percentage of them would bust out. Right now the first round bust rate probably stands close to 50%. It would probably jump up much higher if younger players were allowed in.

Remember, the Maurice Clarett challenge to the 3 year rule was decided along the lines that it was a collectively bargained rule, and thus legal.

The Gipper

@tampadawgs said:

You are correct, there is a QB at Ohio State that I think has a great chance to win the Heisman, it is all set up for him

Here is a link to what one publication views as the top 12 Heisman candidates:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2012/12/12/2013-heisman-watch-list/1762777/

Note, there is one RB, one WR and Clowney is the only defensive player, then 9 QBs.

jrb12711

@the-gipper said:

Not true. The NCAA has no control over this rule. It is a collectively bargained rule between the NFL and the players association.

Now, maybe the motivation for the rule is to keep peace with the NCAA, but still, the NCAA has no control.

The NFL has the 3 year rule, and the NBA has the one and done rule...all collectively bargained.

They make these rules for their own protection as much as for the NCAA. The NFL does not want immature people coming into the league. They believe that if freshman and sophomores were eligible that a large percentage of them would bust out. Right now the first round bust rate probably stands close to 50%. It would probably jump up much higher if younger players were allowed in.

Remember, the Maurice Clarett challenge to the 3 year rule was decided along the lines that it was a collectively bargained rule, and thus legal.

I suppose technically it's mandated by the NFL but I feel extremely confident the NCAA has their hands on it in some form. I see your point but maturity is a subjective thing. I've met 20 year olds who are 10x more mature than someone double their age. The thing about specifically football is even if no such rule existed, MAYBE one player a year would come out of high school if that. Again, it's the conscious decision of both player and team to draft someone.

Heck, look at the NBA. A fair amount of the top players (Kobe, Lebron, Howard) came out of high school. I mean idk, but it's just a shame for a guy like Clowney who literally has nothing else to prove. There's no way his stock could be higher. If I knew my physical ability was going to make me millions I'd want to start making the money ASAP.

MLD Woody

@the-gipper said:

I don't know. There is a lot of sentiment to not just have the Heisman be a QB/RB award. If the guy stays healthy and has a monster season I think there would be a huge movement to have the first pure defensive player to win the award. (Woodson was a defender, but it helped him a lot that he was a very good return man.

I think Johnny Football will retrench a bit, and not be in the running, so this Clown has as good a chance as anyone.

If he gets hurt, then all bets are off.

Exactly. Clowney just plays DE. It'll be extremely hard to put up the numbers needed to compete with the QBs/HBs in the running.

I'll also root against it every step of the way for Woodson's sake. Unless it came down to Braxton and Clowney... that'd be tough.

MLD Woody

@tampadawgs said:

You are correct, there is a QB at Ohio State that I think has a great chance to win the Heisman, it is all set up for him

The schedule definitely is. I think he's one of the preseason favorites too

The Gipper

@mld-woody said:

Exactly. Clowney just plays DE. It'll be extremely hard to put up the numbers needed to compete with the QBs/HBs in the running.

I'll also root against it every step of the way for Woodson's sake. Unless it came down to Braxton and Clowney... that'd be tough.

You would root against Clowney winning the Heisman? Why? What does Woodson have to do with it? To be the only defensive player to have won it? Except, Woodson didn't really win it on the strength of his defense, but at least 50% on his return ability.

If he did not return kicks I do not believe he would have won.

I guess you just have to face it: 2 of the 3 top candidates will apparently be people you don't like. (the other being Manziel).

But, just like last year, I suggest someone will come out of the woodwork to become a top candidate.

MLD Woody

I'm not sure you can pencil in Braxton or Clowney as for sure being in the final three....

And yes, it would be so Woodson could remain the only primarily defensive player to win the Heisman.

I'm also not big on anything SEC, even though USC isn't that bad .

DieHardBrownsFan

As long as no one from Michigan wins, I'm cool.

The Gipper

@mld-woody said:
The schedule definitely is. I think he's one of the preseason favorites too

The Ohio State schedule and the Michigan schedule this year are pretty much on par:

OSU's non conference schedule:

Buffalo (MAC), home

San Diego St. (MWC) home

@ Cal Bears

Fla. A&M home

Mich. non conf. schedule:

Central Mich (MAC). home

Notre Dame, home

Akron (MAC)

@ UConn.

Ohio State's Big Ten opponents:

Wisconsin

@Northwestern

Iowa

Penn St.

@Purdue

@ Illinois

Indiana

@ Mich

Michigan's Big Ten sched:

Minnesota

@Penn St.

Indiana

@Mich State

Nebraska

@Northwestern

@Iowa

Ohio St.

My only objection about Ohio States schedule is the scheduling of FCS Florida A&M. Though Fla. A&M may be as good as any MAC school, I just don't like them scheduling FCS schools.

Both schools have their MAC opponents.

UConn and San Diego St. are programs that are about on par with each other.

Ohio St. has Cal, Mich has ND.

Ohio St. has traditionally done a rotation schedule with Pac-12 schools, though that won't be the case the following years when they do a home and home with Va. Tech. In the 2015 season they start playing Rutgers and Maryland who will be in the Big Ten. Their non conference games will be reduced from 4 to 3.

The only seeming "strength" of schedule next year that Mich has vs. OSU is that game vs. Notre Dame. Based on last season it seems that ND is a stronger opponent than Cal. But I am not sure that for the decade prior to last year that claim could be made.

The Gipper

@mld-woody said:

I'm not sure you can pencil in Braxton or Clowney as for sure being in the final three....

And yes, it would be so Woodson could remain the only primarily defensive player to win the Heisman.

I'm also not big on anything SEC, even though USC isn't that bad .

Jesus, now you have just given me motivation to root FOR Clowney. Though, since the Gamecocks are my father-in-laws favorite team (at 90 he lives just outside Columbia SC) , I might have been prone to favor him anyway. I too though would not root for an SEC team, except the Gamecocks.

The Gipper

You gotta love South Carolina's battle cry:

south%20carolina1.jpg

MLD Woody

Well all I know is I've got a kick ass season lined up on the student section.

I'd still say OSU has an easier schedule though. If they aren't undefeated heading into the game it will be a disappointment