Guess whose back...back again...Omega's back...tell a friend
Okay, so now that we've got an overly clique song out of the way I'm going to give you more football. Now here comes the part where people will say "but the Super Bowl just ended, how can you think about more football now?" To which I respond with, easily. For me football season never ends, when the final whistle is blown on the Super Bowl that's when I get into tape watching mode getting ready for the NFL draft. It's fun to watch teams select these college players, because that's when you see who truly works hard at what they do. On one end of spectrum you've got the scouts who are arguably some of the most underrated people in football. They barely make a hill of beans and their primary focus in this game is to find the next big thing, unlike coaches scouts often bounce from job to job because they have to do so, not because they want to do so.
On the opposite end of the spectrum you've got the athletes, some already reached their potential and can be solid pieces, others have boatloads more potential and can be all stars, and then you've got the busts of the draft guys who are thought to have high potential but might have been masked by a great offensive/defensive gameplan. Playing in the NFL requires you do be able to do tons of things right, and very rarely will a player who can't do multiple things be able to adapt. This leads us to believe that having all the physical tools isn't going to help you always in the long run, because if you're lazy and don't have the ability to work then you won't work. Some of these kids have had five star motels and strength and nutrition programs to keep them going through college at the highest level. Others have lived off Ramen Noodles and worked out with weights just as old as they were for that one shot at the next level. Some of these kids have been picked last since middle school and have rose to the occasion time and time again because they had a dream. Take a walk with me if you will, let's go over whose for real and whose the next chumpzilla.
Quarterbacks
Ah yes, the most pivotal position quite possibly in all the sports. The man who leads the team onto the field and often times is the hero and/or the scapegoat when a team wins or loses a big time game. So which quarterbacks are for real and which ones are going to fall flat? Let's find out...
The Contenders
+ Brock Osweiler- If you've not seen this kid work you're missing a treat. He's a raw athlete from Arizona State University, who was once recruited to play basketball at Gonzaga University. He's riding in at about six foot eight inches tall and has a weight of two hundred and forty pounds. Not a small man by any stretch of the means. He does a lot of things well, he has quick feet in the pocket, he has great lateral movements, and he always keeps his eyes downfield. His point of release is always high so you won't see a lot of batted down balls vs him, which is always a plus. Now for the downside, sometimes he juices his throws way too much and overthrows targets even on the easiest of throws. His arm strength isn't ideal for a NFL quarterback, even though it's as bad as Christian Ponder's arm strength was last draft class. To make matter worse he's a very raw talent and won't be stepping onto the field for a couple of years, obviously a project player but could be a future star with the right coaching and system. Take him in the third round and I love this pick, maybe with a good workout you can argue mid second round anything higher is too much.
+ BJ Coleman- When you watch BJ Coleman on tape it's easy to see why this UT Chattanooga product was recruited highly all those years ago. He played in a traditional offense for five seasons since being redshirted by Tennessee in 2007. He left shortly after Lane Kiffin arrived on the scene and pretty much snubbed Coleman. He's another big bodied kid who has some athletic ability, he stands at about six foot five inches and weights around two hundred and twenty five pounds. The things he does well are for one throwing on the run, when you get him scrambling on bootlegs he has great downfield throws while running. Another thing he has going for him are his mechanics, which have always been fairly solid since he left high school. Now the downside, he's not the most accurate passer in the world managing to only hit about 59% of his throws (granted he did get a lot of drops), he also has an issue with staying comfortable in the pocket sometimes and will look to run away from danger even when he has time to throw. Will BJ Coleman ever be a star in the NFL? The answer is no he won't, but he can become one of those Matt Schaub/Jason Campbell/Matt Hasselbeck type of players who can be solid year in and year out and give his team a chance to win. You could even compare BJ Coleman to Drew Brees, where if he finds a good system for him he'll be able to put up some huge numbers.
The Pretenders
- Andrew Luck- I'm sorry, I just refuse to buy into this Andrew Luck hype train. He's got all the physical tools, but he's also played in a very run heavy offense and relied a lot on his play action passing. Being in the Pac-12 we very rarely got to see him play a good defense, and when he played an average defense that took away his running game he struggled during the game (example: vs Oregon). I think the hype monster will get to this kid as well, he's going to be playing in Indianapolis and they're going to be looking for their next messiah to lead them to what they've become use to having in Indianapolis. Like I said it's hard to find a flaw in Andrew Luck's game itself, but I believe if there is one to be found it's the fact that he hasn't really ever gotten a chance to play outstanding defenses in college. It's easy to carve up a lot of the defenses in the Pac-12, as it's an offensive driven league but what if he has a chance to play that outstanding Alabama or LSU defense this year? I think it's a different story. Also I'm curious as to what his work ethic is, he's a good kid without a doubt but we don't ever hear stories of him living in the film room studying the game like the good QBs always do. Take this with a grain of salt, when I say bust I don't mean he won't be in the league for a while I mean he won't live up to number one pick potential, maybe see him a lot as an Alex Smith/Sam Bradford kind of guy who puts up solid numbers but doesn't light the league on fire.
- Brandon Weeden- Are draft experts really that damn stupid? Apparently so...because a lot of people have Brandon Weeden going in the second round. Let me give you a clue, the last quarterback who was twenty eight and played in an Air Raid System was named John Beck and is currently playing for his third team in the NFL while backing up Rex Grossman...let me say that again, backing up Rex Grossman...REX FUCKING GROSSMAN! Are you seriously considering taking this guy in the second round? Yes, he does have decent mechanics but the only reason he is playing college football is because he didn't pan out in baseball, he's a guy who has very limited upside left and honestly will take more time to get adapted to a pro style setting than he would actually playing in an offense. This guy is a backup at best, maybe a fourth rounder, but anything higher and you're paying way too much. I can see him going to a team like the Lions or the Packers who could use a solid backup use to being in a passing based offense but he's not going to be the messiah for the Fish (that one's for you Terry), he's not going to save the Skins, and most of all he's not going to have a very long career in the NFL. Also, he was made way better by that freak of nature at wideout we call Justin Blackmon, case closed...take him in the fourth round or hate yourself for the next three years...your call.
They are who we thought they were
Robert Griffin III- If you've not seen RG3 playing at Baylor you need to seriously consider yourself a fairweather football fan. This kid is the total package when it comes to Quarterbacks, he throws an excellent deep ball, he's a mobile guy who could be a dual threat at this level, he's got a super star quality about him that's going to put some team on the map. He's this year's Cam Newton per say, a guy who can do a lot of great things despite what talent level is around him (as showcased at Baylor where the talent is thin). I don't question his work ethic as much as I questioned Vince Young's and several other quarterbacks in the past because Baylor is one of those schools where if RGIII didn't work hard he wouldn't have succeeded there. He played top notch defenses most weeks and tore their hearts out shortly after playing them. Most times Heisman Winners don't pan out in the NFL, this time we will make an exception for RGIII...easily could slide in as a contender but we all expect great things from him moving forward so he's not considered a contender as much. Please don't take him Indianapolis, I want our division crown back.
Defensive Ends
These guys set the tone for a defense, especially if you're a team like the New York Giants who live and die by the pass rush. These are the cats I think are going to set the tone for a lot of defenses for years to come. Also, some of these guys could fit into a pass rushing linebacker mold in a 3-4 defense really it's up to the coach to decide.
The Contenders
+ Melvin Ingram- This monster of a man is a better athlete than you might think. Standing at six foot two inches and weighting well over 275 lbs he has the speed of a linebacker, which ironically was his natural position in high school. Don't believe me on how athletic he is? Go watch what he does vs Georgia. He runs a fake punt into the end zone from 68 yards out. On top of that he had 48 tackles, 10 sacks, and two interceptions. That's right, a defensive lineman got his big ass off the ground high enough to pick off some passes. Something made famous by the man they call Julius Peppers. I see Melvin as a mid first round talent with the potential to be a guy like a Reggie White or a Julius Peppers...an extremely large athlete who can play both the run or the pass any team would be lucky to land him.
+ Jonathon Massaquoi wasn't considered very high on a lot of people's lists. The young man came out of community college weighing all of 250lbs as a defensive end, and even though he had spent two years as a JUCO guy and lead the NJCAA in sacks one year he wasn't very highly recruited. Troy took a chance and it paid off for them both as Massaquoi has been tearing up the Sun Belt for a bit now. His numbers don't jump out at you only having 6 sacks and 52 tackles, but given he had an injured ankle for part of the year and was drawing more double teams I think we can forgive him just this once. His numbers the year before included 76 tackles and 12.5 sacks, which is all and all a fantastic performance. His pro day and combine times will determine a lot of where he goes but I see him as a mid second round pick, one that could easily garner over 100 sacks in his career if he can stay healthy.
The Pretenders
- Quinton Coples- It's amazing that North Carolina had all these pro prospects on their roster yet still finished as sorry as they did. Quinton Coples has all the makings of a fine defensive end athletically, but his motor has been questioned at times as has his ability to stay out of trouble. I think those two things combined will equal a very painful lesson for Mr. Coples, who will get drafted probably within the Top 15 and in my mind won't produce nearly as much as everyone thinks he will. He reminds me a lot of Adam Jones, tremendous talent, tremendous upside, but he's lazy and relies too much on athletic ability and he gives up way too easy. Also, like Pacman he can't stay the fuck out of trouble long enough for it to matter. He might be a solid player when he grows up, but he's just too immature right now to actually be beneficial to a lot of teams. I expect him to spend a lot of time in Roger Goodell's office, and even more time out partying instead of working on being a better player. Also can someone explain to me what the point on being branded is? I see a lot of these guys (Coples being included in the mix) having something branded on them, doesn't make any sense to me...I'll be awaiting that answer.
They are who we thought they were
Jared Crick- One of the more solid pieces for the Nebraska Cornhuskers this season, well that is until he got hurt. He had a solid 22 tackles in five games before he got hurt like I said. However the last two years he was able to sit opponents down for 9.5 sacks each year, he also got 36 and 31 tackles respectively in each of the years. The thing that stands out about Jared Crick is he's not an outstanding athlete like some of the other guys you'll see at this position but he is a football player in it's truest form. He's got a nasty streak to play on the defensive line, and he'll down right get physical and bullrush you if he has to do so. He'd fit in somewhere either as a 5 technique defensive end or a 3 technique defensive tackle...maybe if you want to stop some outside runs you'll throw him out to a 7 or 9 tech. Either way whoever drafts him will be getting a hard working player who has proved to be rather durable up until this season. A lot of people thought he'd be a late first early second at the beginning of this year, but now that he was injured he's looking more like a mid to late round third. I think as long as he stays healthy he'll be a solid guy, but his stats won't ever blow you away. Put it this way, if you took Coples athletic talent and combined it with Jared Crick's personality, motor, and heart you'd end up having the second coming of Bruce White on the field.
That's going to do it for today, I'll be sure to work hard within the next couple of weeks to get more draft analysis done on future draftee's. Maybe you'll see a player from one of your favorite teams in a nearby future coming up on one of my big boards. Any questions, comments, or other things are always welcomed on my blogs. That will do it for now, until next time I'm Seth Omega and I am out.
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