alleycat

AAAAANnnnndd....I just went to look up Deebo Samuel's combine, and it was nearly identical to Tracy's. Both ran a 4.48. Deebo has the faster 10 yard split but Tracy beats him on all other numbers. I think Tracy might actually go in the top 75.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, who does their rankings, has him as the 5th RB overall in the draft. Pretty sure those guys get drafted. I won't be shocked to see him go in the top 4 rounds...and I could see him going in the 3rd to the team that knows how to use a guy like this (SF, for example).

Just watched Tyrone Tracy from Purdue (and Iowa). He started at WR before moving to RB. A whole lot of Deebo Samuel to his game. He ran a 4.48 at the combine so enough speed, but his vision and shiftiness and overall pass game skill are impressive. 9.87 RAS. I thought I'd click on his profile and find him to be 5'8 195 but he's 5'11" and 210. Nice article in The Athletic about him: Tyrone Tracy embraced a position change. The payoff could come in the NFL Draft Scott Dochterman INDIANAPOLIS — Tyrone Tracy Jr. felt his football clock ticking like a heartbeat on a roller coaster one year ago as he approached his final winter conditioning period at Purdue. For five seasons, Tracy played receiver. The first four were full of promise, then ended mostly with letdowns at Iowa. His fifth season featured a new start in his home state, but it concluded with the same level of disappointment. Entering his final season of eligibility, Tracy faced a career crossroads. Purdue had a new staff, and coach Ryan Walters asked Tracy to switch positions to running back. There was pressure and uncertainty. “I was a little skeptical at first,” Tracy said. “I didn’t know if he was trying to say I’m not a good receiver, or ‘Hey, man, we actually think you can do this.’ I kind of just prayed about it. I talked to my mom and dad about it. And my dad was basically saying, ‘I know you’ve been doing this your whole life.’” One year after shifting positions, Tracy (5 feet 11, 209 pounds) stood on a podium at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. He produced one of the best sets of testing numbers of any running back in attendance. His magnetic personality came through in a 20-minute interview session and he was energized, relaxed and thankful. Most of all, he was appreciative of his opportunity and the trust he put into the Boilermakers’ coaching staff. Their suggestion turned Tracy from an underachiever into a possible draft pick. Tyrone Tracy led Purdue with nine TDs in 2023 after opening up to a position change. (Robert Goddin / USA Today) ‘Football might not be for me’ Few players were as explosive as Tracy at Decatur Central High School on the southwest side of Indianapolis. In 2017, Tracy was named the state’s Gatorade football player of the year and he signed to play receiver at Iowa. Tracy held school marks for career touchdowns (72), receiving touchdowns (33) and receiving yards (2,643). He totaled 3,525 rushing yards and wanted to play in the slot like Odell Beckham Jr. He redshirted in 2018, then made a splash in 2019 as Iowa’s fourth wide receiver. Tracy caught 36 passes for 589 yards and three scores and rushed for 39 yards and a touchdown. He called himself “Sweet Feet,” which led to constant jabs from his teammates. But after a 75-yard touchdown catch at Wisconsin and a 23-yard reverse for a score against USC, the nickname stuck. “I love it just because of the yards after the catch,” Tracy said, laughing. “That’s where ‘Sweet Feet’ came from.” There was uncertainty about his best position, however. In Tracy’s first fall and spring, he saw action at receiver and running back. It nearly led to a full-time position switch. “We weren’t sure if he’s a running back or a receiver,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. “During our bye week, (former Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator) Tom Moore happened to be on campus. Tyrone made a little cut playing running back. And I remember for whatever reason, my eyes met Tom’s and we’re both like, ‘Hmm, this is good.’” Tracy never reached his potential at receiver. In 2020-21 combined, Tracy totaled 29 catches for 260 yards. Iowa used him at X-receiver, which led him to face jams and didn’t use his quickness off the ball. Eventually, his snaps dwindled, he lost his starting job and hit the transfer portal within days of the 2021 Big Ten title game. “We had some really good running backs,” Tracy said. “We had Tyler Goodson, so I understand. When I was playing, I just felt super natural. I just felt like I could actually do this. “But during that time, they really needed me to be a receiver and help on special teams.” Tracy landed at Purdue, where he thought he’d play a hybrid role. But his production under coach Jeff Brohm in 2022 mirrored his Iowa tenure. He caught 28 passes for 198 yards. “I hit some brick walls,” Tracy said. “In 2020, my numbers didn’t look good. I’m coming back and I think, ‘OK, 2021 is my year.’ Well, 2021 wasn’t my year. So I transferred to Purdue. The 2022 numbers still didn’t look as good as I wanted them to. So I’m thinking football might not be for me. I kind of went through a hard phase.” GO DEEPER 2024 NFL Mock Draft: Trades shake up Round 1; QBs, WRs dominate early Renewed hope As Illinois’ defensive coordinator in 2022, Walters guided the nation’s best scoring defense. After the 2022 Big Ten title game, Brohm left Purdue for Louisville, and the Boilermakers hired Walters. He schemed against Iowa and Purdue and thought moving Tracy to running back was in everyone’s best interest. “Every time I watched Tyrone, you’d look at his frame, the way he moves with the ball in his hands, his physicality as a wideout. I felt like he was out of position at receiver,” Walters said. “The good running backs I’ve been around, they looked and moved like he does. “We were kind of thin at running back. I felt like that was an opportunity for him to get a lot more touches.” Walters wasn’t the only one who believed Tracy should switch positions. Lamar Conard coached Tracy’s younger brother, Kenny, at Miami (Ohio). Conard tried to recruit Tracy in high school as a running back. When Tracy left Iowa and before he selected Purdue, Conard brought the same speech. “We had this conversation: ‘You’re a tailback, I know you’re going to Purdue most likely to be a receiver but, brother, the easiest way to satisfy your hunger is to transition,’” Conard recalled. “And just by the grace of God, I got hired as running backs coach here. The first thing I said to coach Walters and coach (Noah) Joseph, our CEO, was ‘I need Tyrone. You’ve got to give me Tyrone.’” But with one season left, Tracy was unsure whether he wanted to experiment. If he failed, there was no chance at the next level. He needed to learn the intricacies of playing running back and bulk up for the hard hits. Unlike at Iowa, there was no dabbling in both roles. “Obviously, his question was, ‘Can we get this done in this small window?’” Conard said. “I said, ‘Ultimately, that is up to you. How invested are you? I will give you everything I have.’” Tracy unleashed his passion into the position switch. He bulked up from 197 to 210 with a diet increased by 1,500 calories a day while stepping up his workouts. It became an obsession. “His family, his brothers, they always do extra work,” Conard said. “Trying to get them to stop working — you need to take a break, go rest on your off day — they can’t help themselves. That’s just the competitive nature of their family.” GO DEEPER Official combine measurements and results for 2024 NFL Draft prospects Learning how to play running back Receivers are designed to avoid contact; runners often embrace it. Against Big Ten defenses, Tracy had to learn how to run inside and outside zone, hit the holes in gaps and counters and most importantly, take on blitzers. “Once he got cracked a couple times, and he understood the force that he has to put through people, I think that shook the cobwebs loose,” Conard said. “One of the things I was worried about was pass protection,” Walters said. “But he embraced the physicality and ended up being our best pass pro running back.” The move turned out better than expected. Tracy rushed for 716 yards last year and his 6.3 yards per carry led the Big Ten. He added 47 catches for 330 yards and generated 428 yards on kickoff return. He was named a second-team All-Big Ten return specialist and an honorable mention All-Big Ten running back. He finished with nine touchdowns. Tracy also built an NFL resume. At the Hula Bowl, Tracy put both the Purdue “P” and the Tigerhawk on his helmet. He also competed in the Shrine Bowl. When he received his combine invite, his family wept with joy. “It’s hard to put into words,” Tracy said. Among combine running backs, Tracy posted the best three-cone time in 6.81 seconds and was second in both the shuttle (4.06 seconds) and vertical jump (40 inches). He ran a 4.48 40-yard dash to finish eighth and his 10-yard split (1.53 seconds) was sixth. When compared with his peers, Tracy still has plenty to learn but averaged 4.44 yards after contact and shows “natural instincts” and “dynamic agility and elusiveness,” according to The Athletic NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler. “Overall, Tracy needs to improve his decision-making at the line of scrimmage, but he can create with his quick lateral cuts and contact balance and can stay on the field on passing downs,” Brugler said. “He is a multidimensional threat as a rusher, receiver and special teamer, which raises his chances of earning an NFL roster spot.” Tracy’s versatility lends to comparisons with traditional third-down backs who can catch passes. His willingness to play on special teams as a returner and in punt protection also is a plus with six special teams tackles. “Tyrone’s best football days are ahead of him,” Walters said. “I’ve told all the scouts he’s only played tailback for one year,” Conard said. “If you’re talking about Year 3, where could he be? I think the sky’s the limit athletically. But the versatility that he brings in the modern game of football when he gets with the right system, the right coach who knows how to use his skill set, he can be a problem.”

Your cells compromise you? You might want to get that checked out.

A) Keep Tee; Draft your top choice RT in rd 1.; Draft Sweat in Rd. 2 B) Trade Tee for top pick, Draft your top choice RT in rd 1; Draft Byron Murphy or J. Newton with Tee pick; Draft Sweat in Rd. 2 C) Trade Tee for J. Jefferson and the first round pick, choose between Sweat and remain OTs in Rd. 2.

Taylor RApp was the other name and he just signed an extension with the Bills. Would have been the better get.

Just looked into him last night. Great measurables.

Who said anything about a draft pick?

If not #3, someone's gonna have to change his #.

Who will be #3?

And any idea of CEH coming here gets immediately cemented.

Chase has said publicly that he's going to wait for Jefferson's deal to land first. Why not do them both at the same time, and offer them the same deal?

Throw in Browning with Tee and make it happen.

Brady was at his most invincible when he had Gronk and Hernandez. They did the same with Welker and Edelman. I'd be happy for the Bengals to adopt one or both (two TEs, two shifty slot types) of those approaches to help Joe. You only need one guy like Chase to take the top off the Defense and you have mismatches all over the field.

Damn. I saw that Texas playoff game and thought I had found a real underrated guy in Byron Murphy because Sweat was getting all the heat. Now it looks like we might not even have a shot at him. He's the interior penetrator we've needed since Geno left -- and never had with Trey here.

I watched the game last night to scout Sweat but came away really liking what I saw from Byron Murphy II. Don't sleep on that guy.

Our LB play has been garbage for years. They make splash plays but they can't play the run to save their lives. They never plug holes adequately, let the run come to them, frequently over pursue and wash themselves out of the play, and are slow as molasses in the pass game. Aside from getting and elite 3Tech to put legit pressure form the inside, LB is up there with a dominant speed-to-power rusher (to go with Hendrickson) that would take this team to the next level. Plainly spoken, the D needs a QB on the field who is also a tone setter, and right now they don't have that.

Every 1pm game currently going against our needs.

My biggest problem with Mixon is his vision, there are clear examples of him running into the back of an O-Lineman when there is a whole right next to that. Watch the last game for clear examples. My second biggest problem is how easily he goes down on contact, especially in the open field or with one defender. It's almost like he expects contact to take him down, and so he does. And when I mean go down, I mean go straight down, not go down and fall forward for an extra couple of yards.

Roughly, if we win the next two games we need either Buffalo or the Texans to lose one of their next two.

Good news is Jake played in Seattle for college. Literally can’t have more experience in the rain.

Yup. That’s what I was talking about before last week before the games, and why it was actual crucial that Pitt beat Indy. If you select winning percentage as the criteria (not perfect but an okay predictor of favorites, and then just turned 2-3 of our games to wins, we didn’t get in.

It's crazy. The Bengals are in a really bad spot, because of the logjam and how poor their divisional and conference records are. I even found a scenario whereby they don't make the playoffs even if they win out:

Calling it now, if we lose only 1 game, our entire season will come down to the final Bills vs Dolphins game...when we need the Dolphins to win.

But don't take my word for it, use the playoff machine. Right now we are likely not to get in. If Buffalo keeps winning, Bengals fans need to become Dolphins fans for the remainder.