Who are you watching? 2014

[alleycat]

C.J. Fiedorowicz, Iowa - nice prospect. Great blocker, solid route runner with dependable hands. He's what a TE is supposed to look like. Reminds you of Heath Miller.

 

yeah, that's the guy I keep comparing him too. It's probably a slight to Miller, but it's heady company.

[JC]

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AARb846L29o[/media]

 

I love this guy.  He and Van Noy in the top two rounds would turn this defense from a top 5 to a top 2 defense.  Thats my wishlist.

[Zins30]

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AARb846L29o[/media]

 

I love this guy.  He and Van Noy in the top two rounds would turn this defense from a top 5 to a top 2 defense.  Thats my wishlist.

 

Yep, If Dennard is drafted by the Ravens or Steelers I will likely cry...

[Zins30]

Anyone know much about Telvin Smith?

I follow this guy on twitter who does "scouting" and is a Bengals fan. Some of his comments have me intrigued...

@JoeGoodberry: Excited to watch Telvin Smith (WLB/S - Florida State) this morning.

@JoeGoodberry: Clemson/FSU- Twice I've seen Telvin Smith take on a block at the POA and bend the lineman backwards. Best part: Talked shit to the OL after.

@JoeGoodberry: Telvin Smith looks like a NT here with one knee down and winning the leverage battle. Stands O-Lineman upright. http://t.co/RNl5z8HWtI

@JoeGoodberry: Smith is a nightmare for lineman in the second level. Smith just dances around the Clemson OL in a flash. http://t.co/2CSpeexCac

@JoeGoodberry: Telvin Smith covering RB in flats. Stays on RB's inside hip (perfect), then strikes when RB tries to make move. (1/2) http://t.co/baUWAcHPUl

@JoeGoodberry: (2/2) Smith struggles to take RB down despite crushing him initially. They wrestle and RB breaks free, but Smith hops up and chases RB down.

@JoeGoodberry: Smith is so comfortable in coverage.

@JoeGoodberry: Smith one of the first guys downfield covering kicks/punts.

[EnglishBengal]

I've heard Mayock giving high praise to Telvin Smith at the FSU pro day. Mayock says he's very similar to Ryan Shazier. He thinks Smith is a prototypical run and chase WILL linebacker.

[texbengal]

I've heard Mayock giving high praise to Telvin Smith at the FSU pro day. Mayock says he's very similar to Ryan Shazier. He thinks Smith is a prototypical run and chase WILL linebacker.

He's smallish but an outstanding college player.... Makes a lot of plays. Actually the guy he reminds me of is Lavonte David. Is very much a weak side guy. Very fast, can run all day.

FSU has a larger LB, Christian Jones, who is also very good. More stout, but not as rangy. FSU had a tremendous D, with a lot of prospects.

[Bengals1181]

Seantrel Henderson - a very interesting case.  A highly touted recruit and athlete, but dogged with maturity and effort concerns.  When you watch the tape though, he just continually wins, though he gets himself on the ground a little too much (while taking out his man in the process).  If he's playing that well while also half assing him, he'd be something special if the light ever comes on.  Maybe not too unlike Anthony Collins.

 

However, on Wednesday he had a bad pro day and either failed or chose not to finish his workout, walking off the field after falling down during a drill.

 

It's all going to come down to his interviews and if the coaches think they can get him to his peak potential.

[Bengals1181]

one thing I've learned in watching Olinemen this year, is how often teams leave Clowney unblocked on running plays.  I've seen it at least 3 times.  

[Bengals1181]

so here's what I've seen from OT's in the "Battle vs Clowney"

 

 

 

Taylor Lewan, 2013 Bowl Game - winner Lewan

 

Tiny Richardson, 2013 - a pretty good stalemate, MAYBE a slight edge to Clowney

 

Tiny Richardson, 2012 - they didn't match up every play, but when they did Richardson won all but 2 plays.  Those 2 plays were 3 of the last 3 plays of the game though, and included a sack/fumble.  Statelmate may be the best answer here, but I'm inclined to give the edge to Richardson.

 

Brandon Thomas, 2013 - it was only a limited amount found while watching Sammy Watkins targets, but Thomas wins every play. Clowney is credited with 3 tackles and 1 sack in the game, but he lines up in multiple places throughout a game. Inconclusive

 

Brandon Thomas, 2012 - technically Clowney gets him for 3 1/2 sacks, but 1 1/2 of them are on QB Taj Boyd for holding the ball too long and scrambling into them.  The final one the beginning of the play is cut off so you can't really tell, but it appears Thomas was beat.  Advantage Clowney

[Bengals1181]

Battle vs Clowney continued:

 

 

James Hurst, 2013 - Clowney gets him three times, 2 swim moves and a bull rush, but doesn't ultimately get to the QB on either play (and one was a TD).  Another play where Clowney was about to get there on a bull rush but Renner got it off for a big gain. Clowney had 3 tackles, no sacks.  Hurst held him to 4 pressures, no hits, no tackles. Winner Hurst

[Bengals1181]

QB Tom Savage, Pittsburgh - I'll say I think more of him than before I watched him.  I can see why he's generating buzz.  He's 6'6" 230lbs with a strong arm.  He can make all of the throws.

 

That said, his accuracy is inconsistent, as well as his decision making.  He often trusts his arm too much and attempts to fit balls into things that no QB has any business attempting.  For example, in one game I watched.  he threw a pass in-between 4 defenders.  He completed it, but he had no business throwing it.  He simply got lucky and 9 times out of 10 that's intercepted.  

 

Also, for such a strong arm, he underthrows a lot of deep balls, further proving that deep passing is about timing, not strength of arm. 

 

 

There's certainly something there to work with and I can see why teams are intrigued, but I wouldn't use higher than a 4th on him unless they somehow picked up an extra 3rd rounder.  

 

I liken him to a more mobile Ryan Mallett, though I think Mallett was the better passer and prospect.

 

I think this one game against Florida State mostly sums up Savage (it probably undersells him a little bit) in the 4 games I watched.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ2PVx3SZcA

[Bengals1181]

OG Xavier Su'a Filo - a nice prospect, though not overly athletic.  Is very good when a guy is lined up right in front of him, but has some trouble recognizing and picking up stunts and and zone blocking.  Probably more of a man scheme fit.  Had some trouble with Trent Murphy of Stanford.

 

Also kicked out to left tackle at times and showed well.

[The PatternMaster]

QB Tom Savage, Pittsburgh - I'll say I think more of him than before I watched him.  I can see why he's generating buzz.  He's 6'6" 230lbs with a strong arm.  He can make all of the throws.

 

That said, his accuracy is inconsistent, as well as his decision making.  He often trusts his arm too much and attempts to fit balls into things that no QB has any business attempting.  For example, in one game I watched.  he threw a pass in-between 4 defenders.  He completed it, but he had no business throwing it.  He simply got lucky and 9 times out of 10 that's intercepted.  

 

Also, for such a strong arm, he underthrows a lot of deep balls, further proving that deep passing is about timing, not strength of arm. 

 

 

There's certainly something there to work with and I can see why teams are intrigued, but I wouldn't use higher than a 4th on him unless they somehow picked up an extra 3rd rounder.  

 

I liken him to a more mobile Ryan Mallett, though I think Mallett was the better passer and prospect.

 

I think this one game against Florida State mostly sums up Savage (it probably undersells him a little bit) in the 4 games I watched.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ2PVx3SZcA

 

He has a big arm, can move around a bit, he looked good on the short and intermediate throws, BUT his decision making was awful. He reminds me of Jordan Palmer, physically gifted player that makes bad decisions consistently. It seems like the speed of the game vs. the top competition was too much for him, so I think he would really struggle in the NFL to adjust to the speed of the game. Could be a developmental pick, but I wouldn't pick him before the 5th round.

 

However the WR #15 Devin Street looks like a player, he made some great catches and displayed toughness, he would be a good pick in the draft. 

[Bengals1181]

watched Terrance West the other day.  One of the only RB's I've watched who I don't think would upgrade the RB unit in anyway.  He's slower than BJGE and doesn't have the power to make up for it.

[alleycat]

watched Terrance West the other day.  One of the only RB's I've watched who I don't think would upgrade the RB unit in anyway.  He's slower than BJGE and doesn't have the power to make up for it.

 

Yeah, from what I saw I don't get they hype.  On the flip side was Andre Williams, who I didn't understand what the fuss was all about until I closely watched him - and then, whoah, OK, I get it now...

[Jason]

I watched Ealy against Oklahoma State and Georgia and I wasn't terribly impressed.  i only saw him beat his man for a sack once.  And he got pushed around in the running game quite a few times.

[Bengals1181]

I watched Ealy against Oklahoma State and Georgia and I wasn't terribly impressed.  i only saw him beat his man for a sack once.  And he got pushed around in the running game quite a few times.

 

 

I've never gotten the Ealy love.  I'm still not sure he was even the best DE on his team.  They've also got a DT who I think will end up being a better prospect too.  #90.

[HairOnFire]

I watched Ealy against Oklahoma State and Georgia and I wasn't terribly impressed.  i only saw him beat his man for a sack once.  And he got pushed around in the running game quite a few times.

 

I haven't watched the Georgia game but I did watch the Cotton Bowl and I'm pretty sure Ealy had at least two sacks and 6-8 tackles in that game alone.

 

Point being, if you weren't impressed by Ealy in that game you probably never will be.

[Jason]

 

I haven't watched the Georgia game but I did watch the Cotton Bowl and I'm pretty sure Ealy had at least two sacks and 6-8 tackles in that game alone.

 

Point being, if you weren't impressed by Ealy in that game you probably never will be.

 

He had 1 sack where he beat his guy, and he had 1 sack where he went between the G and T and neither one knew who was supposed to block him, so neither one did and he was untouched. I see that more as bad O-line play than a good DE play.

 

As for the Georgia game, the video crapped out about half way through, so if he had a good second half I did not see it.

[happyrid]

Preparing over the next few weeks for my fantasy drafts and getting into scouting the skill position guys.

 

First guy I watched was Aaron Murray. You can really see the Dalton comparisons. He throws a really catchable ball and has pretty good accuracy. Not a big arm, but makes some nice throws downfield. Not a great athlete, but mobile enough that he's not a sitting duck. He does seem to have 1 or 2 throws a game where you don't know what he is looking at and led to some pick 6s. He had been surrounded by a lot of talent early in his career, but injuries killed UGA's offense this year and he still produced with the backups in there. Led some clutch drives (LSU game for example) late in pressure situations.

 

For the Bengals, I think he makes a ton of sense as a long term backup who wouldn't be too much of a drop off from Andy. And if it goes south in negotiations, maybe he's a decent enough fill in. If Dalton is a B or B- starting QB and Murray ends up being a C+, is it worth saving $15M a year and using that to make sure your OL and skill positions are loaded around the QB?

[happyrid]

First RB I've watched, Isaiah Crowell. Some guys I respect as evaluators have him ranked as the #1 RB in the class based on talent (ignoring off field stuff) and I can see why. He was the #1 RB recruit in the country and looked good as a Georgia freshman and was actually SEC freshman of the year in 2011. Looks great here vs. a loaded South Carolina defense:

 

http://draftbreakdown.com/video/isaiah-crowell-vs-south-carolina-2011/

 

For a power back, he shows some nice hands. Could potentially be the rare big back with speed who can catch...

 

He got kicked out of UGA though and landed at Alabama St. Looks like he has filled out a little bit and is a man amongst boys in this game against Jackson St.

 

http://draftbreakdown.com/video/isaiah-crowell-vs-jackson-state-2013/

 

Love how he is basically a straight ahead guy who hits the hole hard and gets what he can out of each run. But also has enough shake to make a guy miss.

 

For a player who is being projected as a 4th-5th rounder, the talent level is pretty ridiculous. No idea about his character, but seems like he'd definitely be worth a shot if he really does fall to round 4 or later.

[Zins30]

First RB I've watched, Isaiah Crowell. Some guys I respect as evaluators have him ranked as the #1 RB in the class based on talent (ignoring off field stuff) and I can see why. He was the #1 RB recruit in the country and looked good as a Georgia freshman and was actually SEC freshman of the year in 2011. Looks great here vs. a loaded South Carolina defense:

 

http://draftbreakdown.com/video/isaiah-crowell-vs-south-carolina-2011/

 

For a power back, he shows some nice hands. Could potentially be the rare big back with speed who can catch...

 

He got kicked out of UGA though and landed at Alabama St. Looks like he has filled out a little bit and is a man amongst boys in this game against Jackson St.

 

http://draftbreakdown.com/video/isaiah-crowell-vs-jackson-state-2013/

 

Love how he is basically a straight ahead guy who hits the hole hard and gets what he can out of each run. But also has enough shake to make a guy miss.

 

For a player who is being projected as a 4th-5th rounder, the talent level is pretty ridiculous. No idea about his character, but seems like he'd definitely be worth a shot if he really does fall to round 4 or later.

 

Unless this was totally overturned or something I'd stay pretty far away....

 

"Crowell, a rising sophomore and former five-star recruit who was the Bulldogs' leading rusher last season, was dismissed by head coach Mark Richt after Crowell was arrested on felony weapons charges. Crowell has since transferred to Alabama State, a Football Championship Subdivision-level program in Montgomery, Ala., and started classes Monday. Crowell will be eligible to play this season, instead of sitting out the required year if he transferred to another Football Bowl Subdivision school."

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8147227/former-georgia-coach-vince-dooley-says-isaiah-crowell-getting-kicked-bulldogs-blessing-disguise-report-says

 

"

Isaiah Crowell has been dismissed from the Georgia football team after an early Friday morning arrest on weapons charges.

Crowell, who was a rising sophomore tailback, was stopped at a police checkpoint near the University of Georgia campus. Athens-Clarke police booked the 19-year-old into jail at 3:37 a.m. on two felony charges — possession of a weapon in a school zone and possession of a firearm with an altered identification — and the misdemeanor charge of carrying a concealed firearm.

Crowell was arrested at about 2:20 a.m. at the intersection of East Campus Road and East Green Street, police said. He and four passengers — all UGA football players — were heading home from Aftermath, a downtown Athens nightclub, Crowell told police.

An officer asked Crowell, the driver, why he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, and the football player replied he had “taken it off to reach for things while approaching the check,” according to the arrest report.

The officer smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the car, but failed to find contraband on any of the five occupants following pat-downs. None of the other football players in Crowell’s car were charged.

After Crowell consented to a search of his car, an officer found a 9mm Luger pistol with the serial number scratched off under the driver’s seat.

Crowell insisted he didn’t know the gun was in the car, and mentioned that he allows others to drive it, police said.

The officer noted in her report that Crowell appeared nervous during the search"

http://onlineathens.com/sports/college-sports/2012-06-29/crowell-dismissed-uga-football-team-following-gun-arrest

[alleycat]

I've been tracking him a bit this year.  I'd say if you lose out on Hyde, Hill, and Williams that you hope to pick up a guy like Crowell late(r).

[Bengals1181]

I watched Ealy against Oklahoma State and Georgia and I wasn't terribly impressed.  i only saw him beat his man for a sack once.  And he got pushed around in the running game quite a few times.

 

 

Calvin Watkins ‏@calvinwatkins  2h

Several NFL teams are interested in moving Missouri DE Kony Ealy to DT.

[happyrid]

 

Unless this was totally overturned or something I'd stay pretty far away....

 

"Crowell, a rising sophomore and former five-star recruit who was the Bulldogs' leading rusher last season, was dismissed by head coach Mark Richt after Crowell was arrested on felony weapons charges. Crowell has since transferred to Alabama State, a Football Championship Subdivision-level program in Montgomery, Ala., and started classes Monday. Crowell will be eligible to play this season, instead of sitting out the required year if he transferred to another Football Bowl Subdivision school."

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8147227/former-georgia-coach-vince-dooley-says-isaiah-crowell-getting-kicked-bulldogs-blessing-disguise-report-says

 

"

Isaiah Crowell has been dismissed from the Georgia football team after an early Friday morning arrest on weapons charges.

Crowell, who was a rising sophomore tailback, was stopped at a police checkpoint near the University of Georgia campus. Athens-Clarke police booked the 19-year-old into jail at 3:37 a.m. on two felony charges — possession of a weapon in a school zone and possession of a firearm with an altered identification — and the misdemeanor charge of carrying a concealed firearm.

Crowell was arrested at about 2:20 a.m. at the intersection of East Campus Road and East Green Street, police said. He and four passengers — all UGA football players — were heading home from Aftermath, a downtown Athens nightclub, Crowell told police.

An officer asked Crowell, the driver, why he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, and the football player replied he had “taken it off to reach for things while approaching the check,” according to the arrest report.

The officer smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the car, but failed to find contraband on any of the five occupants following pat-downs. None of the other football players in Crowell’s car were charged.

After Crowell consented to a search of his car, an officer found a 9mm Luger pistol with the serial number scratched off under the driver’s seat.

Crowell insisted he didn’t know the gun was in the car, and mentioned that he allows others to drive it, police said.

The officer noted in her report that Crowell appeared nervous during the search"

http://onlineathens.com/sports/college-sports/2012-06-29/crowell-dismissed-uga-football-team-following-gun-arrest

 

It was a couple years ago. I don't think he is facing anything pending in terms of legal stuff. 

 

But this is why he is potentially going to be available much later than his talent would dictate. You potentially could get a 2nd round guy in the 5th due to the character stuff. 

 

I'm not sure he's any worse a guy than Jeremy Hill and I like his talent a little better. 

 

Not positive, but I don't think he's had any issues the last 2 years and has kept his nose clean since getting the boot from UGA. Kind of a similar story to Janoris Jenkins. 

 

Just someone I'm intrigued by (along with Hill). Feel like RB is a spot where we can take a chance on a guy late and if it doesn't work out, it's not too big a deal. We just cut him and move on with Gio and others and try to get somebody in 2015. If he pans out, you get a hell of a 1-2 punch for really cheap and get to use your premium picks on positions like OT, CB, etc. instead of drafting another early round RB 1 year after taking Gio.