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Tufele Writeup

 

5. JAY TUFELE | USC 6021 | 305 lbs. | rJR. Salt Lake City, Utah (Bingham) 7/25/1999 (age 21.76) #78 BACKGROUND: Jay Tufele (too-FAY-lay) was born in American Samoa and moved with his family to the Salt Lake City area when he was a toddler. He attended Bingham High School and earned a starting role on varsity as a sophomore, posting 63 tackles and 6.0 sacks. As a junior, Tufele was named Salt Lake MVP with 57 tackles and 10.5 sacks in 2015, earning All-American honors. He suffered a foot injury while working out at Nike’s The Opening the summer prior to his senior year and missed most of the 2016 season. He returned to play in the final three games and helped Bingham win the 5A state championship. Tufele started playing rugby in the seventh grade and fell in love with the sport. He competed for the West Valley Rugby Club in high school. A four-star defensive tackle recruit out of high school, Tufele was the No. 3 ranked defensive tackle in the class and the No. 1 recruit in Utah. He received over 20 scholarship offers and had a final five of BYU, Michigan, Ohio State, USC and Utah. He committed to the Trojans (Marlon Tuipulotu already committing to USC in the class was an important factor because they wanted to play together). Tufele elected to opt out of the 2020 college football season due to the pandemic – his older sister, Noreen, tested positive for COVID-19 in July 2020 and was on a ventilator for over a month fighting for her life. He decided to skip his senior season and enter the 2021 NFL Draft.

 

YEAR (GP/GS) TKLS TFL SACK FF PD INT NOTES

2017: Redshirted

2018: (12/5) 23 4.5 3.0 0 0 0 Freshman All-American; Second Team All-Pac 12; Blocked FG; FR TD

2019: (13/13) 42 6.5 4.5 0 1 0 First Team All-Pac 12

2020: Opted out of the season (August 19, 2020)

Total: (25/18) 65 11.0 7.5 0 1 0

HT WT ARM HAND WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP COMBINE N/A (Combine canceled) PRO DAY 6021 305 32 1/2 9 3/8 79 3/8 5.00 2.94 1.75 30 8’9” 4.90 7.81 30

 

STRENGTHS: Solidly built with broad shoulders…balanced mover with short-area quickness to elude or play through contact…flashes efficient arm-over and violent rip moves…able to pry his way into the backfield once he gets under the edge…strong at the point-of-attack and puts down roots to anchor in the run game…uses quickness to beat cut-off blocks…active hands and plays with a fully charged battery…his effort is consistent, chasing plays down with athleticism near the numbers…the coaches heap praise on him for his mature work ethic at such a young age…his production steadily increased from his freshman to sophomore season.

 

WEAKNESSES: Plays quick, but needs to show better control in his rush setup and execution…undeveloped shed skills and late to attack gaps if he doesn’t win with his first-step quickness…can get stuck on blocks and moved from lanes…attempts to battle through double teams with toughness over technique…relies more on effort than instincts and needs to develop his feel for blocking schemes…overeager play style leads to tall pads and missed tackles in the backfield…only two years of playing experience at the college level after opting out of the 2020 season.

 

SUMMARY: A two-year starter at USC, Tufele lined up at three-technique in defensive coordinator Todd Orlando’s multiple front, playing mostly over the B-gap. Despite not playing in 2020 as an opt-out, he looked like an ascending disruptor on his 2019 film, although he was more of a flash player and needs continued development. With his rugby background, Tufele competes with the physical violence and body control to work his way through gaps and put heat on the pocket. While he plays strong, he doesn’t consistently play with the power to create knockback or overwhelm blockers through their numbers. Overall, Tufele needs to develop his feel as a pass rusher and block shedder, but he is quick off the ball with impressive balance and a motor that runs hot. He projects as an NFL threetechnique with starting tools. GRADE: 2nd-3rd Round (No. 78 overall)

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5. DEVIN ASIASI | UCLA 6030 | 257 lbs. | rJR. Shoreview, Calif. (De La Salle) 8/14/1997 (age 22.69) #86 BACKGROUND: Devin Asiasi (AH-see-AH-see) was a two-sport letterman at De La Salle, playing basketball and football in high school. Starring on both sides of the football, he posted 16 catches for 264 yards and two scores as a junior tight end, adding 33 tackles and 5.0 sacks as a defensive end. As a senior, Asiasi finished with 17 receptions for 311 yards and five scores on offense and 49 tackles and 4.0 sacks on defense, earning 2016 U.S. Army All-American honors. A four-star tight end recruit out of high school, Asiasi was the No. 3 tight end in the country (behind Isaac Nauta and Kaden Smith) and the No. 12 recruit in the state of California. He had offers from just about every major program in the country and narrowed his list to Michigan, UCLA, USC and Washington. He was thought to be a package deal with his high school teammate Boss Tagaloa, who signed with UCLA, but Asiasi chose the Wolverines. However, he lasted only one season in Ann Arbor before transferring back west, joining Tagaloa at UCLA and sitting out the 2017 season. Asiasi elected to skip his senior season and enter the 2020 NFL Draft.

 

YEAR (GP/GS) REC YDS AVG TD NOTES

2016: (13/0) 2 18 9.0 1 Michigan; First career catch went for a touchdown

2017: Sat out due to transfer rules UCLA

2018: (9/1) 6 130 21.7 1 UCLA; Served a three-game suspension

2019: (12/12) 44 641 14.6 4 UCLA; Honorable Mention All-Pac 12 Total:

(34/13) 52 789 15.2 6 HT WT ARM HAND WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP COMBINE 6030 257 33 1/4 09 3/4 80 1/8 4.73 2.75 1.62 30 1/2 09’07” - - 16 (no shuttle or 3-cone – choice) PRO DAY N/A (Pro Day canceled)

 

STRENGTHS: Carries his weight well with agile feet…quickly enters his routes…flashes sink and snap at the top of patterns to give the quarterback a target…nice job settling in zones…steady concentration at the catch point and dependable in traffic…adjusts well to throws away from his frame…tough over the middle of the field, taking hits and holding onto the football…averaged over 15.0 yards per catch over his career with 14 plays of 20-plus yards the last two years…steadily improved as a run blocker, sealing on down blocks and staying after his target…strong hands as a blocker and willing to do the dirty work…well-liked by coaches and teammates.

 

WEAKNESSES: Needs to tighten his routes…too much lean in his patterns, giving defenders a preview of where he is headed…defenders are able to crowd him down the seam…not much of a tackle-breaker after the catch…on-the-move blocking angles lack refinement…needs to be more assertive shooting his hands and aggressively locking on instead of allowing defenders to come to him…there are undisciplined elements to his game with at least one penalty in each of the five tapes studied (two false starts, three holding calls)…still maturing and learning how to become a professional…served a three-game suspension to start the 2018 season for a “violation of team rules”…only one season as a starter.

 

SUMMARY: A one-year starter at UCLA, Asiasi was the starting “Y” tight end in head coach Chip Kelly’s up-tempo offense, lining up primarily inline to the boundary. After a reserve season at Michigan and another year sitting out as a transfer, he spent 2018 backing up Caleb Wilson before taking over as the starter in 2019, finishing second on the team in receiving. There isn’t much deception or diversity to his route tree (mostly digs, outs, posts on tape), but Asiasi moves well and presents a window for his quarterback. Although he isn’t shy banging as a blocker, he needs to be more of an aggressor in the run game. Overall, Asiasi doesn’t have the traits that scream playmaker, but he is well-rounded with the steady ball skills and blocking chops to earn a roster spot and fight his way up the depth chart. GRADE: 3rd-4th Round

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5 minutes ago, High School Harry said:

Taylor-Britt to IR... nuts!

But it opens a space on the roster for Jesse when he is

eligible to jump in and O.J. Howard.

At least C T-B will be fresh later in the season 

IR BOUND: On a Zoom media call Bengals heads coach Zac Taylor said second-round cornerback Cam Taylor Britt (core) and edge Khalid Kareem (hamstring) are going to start the season on the four-week injured reserve list. They can only rehab and go to meetings and after the Sept. 29 Thursday night game against Miami they can start practicing in a three-week activation period.

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8. MAX SCHARPING | Northern Illinois 6057 | 327 lbs. | rSR. Green Bay, Wisc. (Southwest) 8/10/1996 (age 22.72) #73 BACKGROUND: A two-star offensive tackle recruit out of high school, Max Scharping grew up in the shadow of Lambeau Field in Green Bay and was a three-year starter on the offensive and defenses lines at Southwest. He earned All-Conference honors three straight years and was named All-State as a senior. Playing his senior season at only 250 pounds, Scharping went underrecruited and went overlooked by Wisconsin, where both his parents attended. He was ranked as the No. 20 recruit in Wisconsin and committed to Northern Illinois over Central Michigan, Western Michigan and Yale. Scharping accepted his invitation to the 2019 Senior Bowl. YEAR (GP/GS) POSITION NOTES

2014: Redshirted

2015: (14/14) 8 RT, 6 RG Freshman All-American

2016: (12/12) RT First Team All-MAC

2017: (13/13) LT First Team All-MAC

2018: (14/14) LT First Team All-MAC; Finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy

Total: (53/53) 27 LT, 20 RT, 6 RG HT WT ARM HAND WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP COMBINE 6057 327 33 5/8 10 80 1/8 - - - 28 09’00” 4.69 7.77 27 (no runs – left hamstring) PRO DAY N/A (positional drills only – no 40-yard dash due to his hamstring)

 

STRENGTHS: Coordinated shuffle in his pass sets…sinks his hips and sits in his stance to handle bull rushers…resets well to stay square…walks the fine line of being patient while also staying aggressive with his punch…grip strength to lock down edge rushers (see 2018 Florida State tape vs. Brian Burns)…rolls his hips and runs his feet to create movement in the run game…comfortable pulling through gaps…quick to set his hands, turn defenders and plant his flag, opening run lanes…sees the field well and understands what the defense is doing…graduated with his undergraduate degree in kinesiology and recently completed his master’s degree (December 2018)…durable and started all 53 games the past four seasons, playing all 998 offensive snaps in 2018.

 

WEAKNESSES: Inconsistent pass pro depth…only average foot quickness and arm length when protecting the corner…bad habit of bending at the waist to cut off edge speed, falling off balance…tends to be late with his hands, allowing rushers to reach his chest…inefficient on combination blocks with inconsistent results picking up second-level defenders…not a mauler in the run game and hands lack shock…battled through a left hamstring injury during the pre-draft process.

 

SUMMARY: A four-year starter at Northern Illinois, Scharping spent his first two seasons at right tackle and right guard before shifting to left tackle as a junior and senior, lining up primarily in a three-point stance for the Huskies. He graduated with a 3.99 GPA (received one A- in an English class his freshman year) and his high IQ translates well to the football field, sensing pressures and breaking down defenses. Scharping isn’t a top-tier athlete, but he is quick out of his stance and stays busy, allowing only one sack (Iowa’s AJ Epenesa) the last three seasons. His margin for error will be much smaller in the NFL compared to the MAC and he must eliminate bad habits to lock up an NFL starting role. Overall, Scharping has his shortcomings, but he does an excellent job working within the confines of his skill set, displaying a keen understanding of his strengths to mask his weaknesses. GRADE: 3rd Round (#81 overall)

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Bummer about losing Pryor.  He was my sleeper favorite.  So that means he's on the Jags 53 man roster right?  Sad for us since he would have been a great one to have on the practice squad and potentially groom in case we can't sign one of the big 3.  But good for Pryor as I_C_ mentioned...seems like a good kid with good potential.

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Quote

Terminated the contracts of sixth-year veteran QB Brandon Allen and ninth-year veteran S Michael J. Thomas.

Waived HB Trayveon Williams.

Erm - does this mean Brandon Allen is released?

 

Also, bummer about Williams - hoped he would find a spot.

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1 hour ago, Cat said:

Erm - does this mean Brandon Allen is released?

 

Also, bummer about Williams - hoped he would find a spot.

Interesting on Allen...I assume he and Michael Thomas will be back on new contracts and it was all just a "make the numbers work" kind of a thing?  I guess we'll see how it plays out in next couple days.

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1 hour ago, Cat said:

Erm - does this mean Brandon Allen is released?

 

Also, bummer about Williams - hoped he would find a spot.

Released yes, but I think it's one of those handshake deals where the player is "promised" a spot if he doesn't bolt to another team.

He's not subject to the waiver wire and claims from other teams.

 

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  https://www.yahoo.com/sports/bengals-release-brandon-allen-michael-195318795.html

Bengals release Brandon Allen, Michael Thomas

The Bengals kept two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster through Tuesday’s cuts, but they’re now down to one of them.

The team announced that they released Brandon Allen in one of the moves needed to create space for three waiver claims. They added tight end Devin Asiasi, guard Max Scharping, and defensive tackle Jay Tufele.

Allen isn’t subject to waivers and could return to the active roster or practice squad in short order. The Bengals signed quarterback Jake Browning to the practice squad Wednesday after cutting him on Tuesday.

Safety Michael Thomas was also released. The veteran special teamer played eight games for the Bengals last year.

Running back Trayveon Williams was waived to round out the active roster moves.

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