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QB Rakeem Cato, Marshall (Class: 2015)

Discussion in 'NFL Draft Forum' started by ckparrothead, Oct 17, 2014.

  1. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Rakeem Cato Cliff's Notes (Updated: 11/20/2014)

    Background & Character
    01. Father in prison most of Cato's life. Mother raised 7 kids in Liberty City on her own, died of pneumonia when Cato was 13.
    02. Grew up playing ball with friends like T.Y. Hilton, Devonta Freeman & Tommy Shuler. Lived in their houses. Was always the QB.
    03. Anger issues a theme in H.S., nearly kicked off team. Luther Campbell went to bat for him. Won a state championship.
    04. Issues continued as true freshman starter in college. Benched 3 games for being too angry. Worked thru it, led team to bowl win.
    05. Bill Legg carefully helped Rakeem work through anger & trust issues. Remarkable turnaround story.
    06. Holliday coached Rivers, Tebow, Newton & Pat White. Very specific that Cato is the "MOST" competitive kid he's ever been around.
    07. Has two kids. Specifically cites relationship with Chad Pennington not only as a football role model but as a father role model.
    08. Marshall insiders emphatic about his character. Helped clean up the program, cares strongly about his Marshall legacy.

    Statistics & Accomplishments
    01. Cato set high school career passing yardage, completion and pass touchdown records for Miami-Dade County.
    02. Cato will own every passing, yardage & scoring record at Marshall as well, eclipsing Chad Pennington in 2014.
    03. Cato shattered Russell Wilson's record for consecutive games with a TD pass. Previously 38. Cato on 42 and counting (potential 46).
    04. Last time he didn't throw a TD during a game was during 3 games he was benched. Threw a TD in 2 of them (11 total attempts).
    05. Has 30-16 record as starter, 2-0 in bowl games. Team was 16-21 in three seasons prior to arrival.
    06. Marshall's offense averaged 21.4 ppg & 5.0 yards per play 2010 & 2011. Jumped to 43.1 ppg & 6.6 ypp in Cato's final 3 years.
    07. Last three seasons at Marshall: 872 of 1367 (64%) for 10,730 yards (7.8 YPA), 102 TD, 27 INT, 62 Sacks. 104.6 passer rating.
    08. Last three seasons at Marshall: 213 runs (including sacks) for 684 yards, 13 TD, 10 FUM.
    09. Heading into 2014, his 2012 & 2013 third down efficiency was 2nd only to Jameis Winston.
    10. Third down efficiency 2014 thru 10 games even higher: 123.4 passer rating, 50.0% conversion (includes passes, sacks & runs).

    Offensive Structure & Notes
    01. Exclusively shotgun-based offense with read-option zone ground game.
    02. Due to high run output, 2014 passing game priorities morphed into A) throwing deep on 1st down, B) converting 3rd downs.
    03. Cato is tied for the most 25+ yard completions in the FBS on 1st down (20 thru 10 games).
    04. Cato ranks 3rd in FBS in total 3rd down pass conversion rate (50.7% thru 10 games).
    05. Cato also ranks 3rd in pass conversion rate on 3rd & 7 to 9 yards (45.5% thru 10 games).
    06. OC Bill Legg claims all play-calls have three components: A) Run component, B) Pass component, C) "Rakeem component".
    07. Receivers coached to always run routes. QB decides every play whether to hand off, pass or keep.
    08. QBs have spread it evenly: 340 handoffs (48%), 316 passes (45%), 53 keepers (7%)...thru 10 games.
    09. Offense averages 47 ppg, 7.9 yards per play (half a yard higher than any other offense in FBS).

    Physical Characteristics & Abilities
    01. Listed between 6'0" & 6'1", between 176 & 193 lbs. Claimed in interview to be "190 or 193 lbs" prior to 2013 season.
    02. "Skinny, quick twitch body. Wiry strong with high vertical. Not going to be easy for him to add too much size."
    03. Despite small frame, was a four year starter at Marshall & never missed a game. Four year starter in H.S. with no notable injuries.
    04. Wears gloves most games. Hand size unknown. Pump fakes frequently. Holds with one hand frequently. Not a frequent fumbler.
    05. Achieved 52.0 mph average velocity on this 114 foot throw, one of the fastest I've tested at that particular distance.
    06. Throws well rolling RIGHT (Examples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) or LEFT (Examples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7).
    07. Can throw off back foot (Examples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) and can throw after moving off his spot (Examples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11).
    08. Speed is unknown (estimated 4.68 per NFLDS). Can certainly run (Examples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
    09. High agility, change of direction and elusiveness. Exceptional cutting ability.
    10. Gets great spin on the ball with gloves on. Examples: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

    Decision-Making & Information Processing
    01. Head constantly on a swivel, gets through his reads: Examples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19.
    02. Presence of mind to regularly direct traffic during plays: Examples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
    03. Always keeps eyes up on scramble, exceptional at finding targets: Examples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21.
    04. Finds ways to get ball thru passing lanes, doesn't get batted balls: Examples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
    05. Makes it a point to manipulate defenses with eyes, body language and pump fakes: Examples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
    06. Knows when he needs to throw with touch: Examples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
    07. Shows situational awareness: Examples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.
    08. Prioritizes avoidance of unnecessary contact. Examples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
    09. Shows the presence of mind & body control to minimize necessary contact. Examples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
    10. Great pressure sense. Examples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
    11. "He throws the best deep ball I've seen in a long time." (Terry Bowden). Examples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.

    Final Summary
    Rakeem Cato is a quarterback with a unique history of overcoming personal turmoil and adversity while simultaneously achieving pinnacle results for every level of football he has played. He was a four year starter in high school immediately after the unexpected death of his mother, while being raised essentially as a transient. Indeed, he became one of the best quarterbacks Miami-Dade County (one of the best football counties in the country) has ever known, capturing every major relevant passing record en route to a state championship in his senior year. He repeated the success at Marshall where his influence essentially doubled the potency of Marshall's offense, led them to two bowl wins (thus far) and has them sitting 10-0 with a #18 ranking in the country in his final year. This is the first time Marshall has been ranked since Pennington was throwing the football to Randy Moss. And as in high school, Cato is once again setting every relevant passing record at a school that boasts former 1st round quarterbacks Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich. He is even in the midst of setting a national record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass that may never be broken (and I don't use that term lightly), having captured that record from Russell Wilson.

    The name of the game for Rakeem Cato is information processing. He recognizes developments on the football field more quickly than other players. The game is slower for him than it is for other players and this leads him to try things at game speed that other quarterbacks would not attempt. Unlike some quarterbacks, Cato's body is nearly as fast as his mind. He has special agility, cutting ability and burst for the position, to go along with a very quick and versatile release. His high school coach at Miami Springs tried him (on a whim) at corner and he shut down teammates like Tommy Shuler and T.Y. Hilton. His throwing ability is everything you could want at the NFL level. There is no quarter of the field safe from his arm, as you will see in many of the above clips. Indeed he achieves average velocities at certain distances that equal some of the highest I have tested. He has the elusiveness and improvisational ability of a Russell Wilson or Johnny Manziel, but is even more contact-averse than Wilson (who himself is at the other end of this spectrum from the likes of Robert Griffin). This is why, despite his having been thin-framed from 9th grade on, he has never taken a major injury. He has not missed a single game in his time at Marshall.

    Some will look at Rakeem Cato, decide he does not pass the eyeball test, begin filling in their expectations as for what they are going to see based on stereotypes (note: I am not referring to race), and will allow those expectations to influence what they see on the film. If the above clips and notes do not sell you on Rakeem Cato as a quarterback, you will likely never be sold on him, and that is OK. What I see is a player whose ability to process massive amounts of information at game speed and whose pure throwing ability and style remind me very much of Aaron Rodgers, whom I had strongly believed to be the most valuable player in the 2005 NFL Draft.

    Reading Links:
    Rakeem Cato Website Press Section: http://www.catoin14.com/what-theyre-saying/
    CK's Prose Review: http://www.thephins.com/forums/show...cts-for-2015&p=2397029&viewfull=1#post2397029

    Background Video Links:
    Fox Sports Rakeem Cato Special: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXaXZHM9a_s
    CBS Sports Rakeem Cato Special: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnxaIfdAf-M
    Rakeem Cato on Jim Rome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIRqD5mGrGU&feature=player_embedded
    Rakeem Cato QB School with Chad Pennington: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Boo7c-DGbBc
    ESPNU All Access Marshall University: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NTm4qAwl9lo
    Rakeem Cato on College Gameday Live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g45A1pZ96s0

    Football Video Links
    Marshall Touchdowns of 2013: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJ0NJV175es
    Rakeem Cato Highlights vs. Old Dominion, Ohio & Middle Tennessee 2014: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9UaKGyOVIE
    Rakeem Cato vs. Virginia Tech 2013: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieGgEkUceP0
    Rakeem Cato vs. Maryland 2013 (Military Bowl): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyrUEZeD-MU
    Rakeem Cato vs. Miami-OH 2014 (Week 1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1VVf4Ntsvw
    Rakeem Cato vs. Akron 2014 (Week 4): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5WdBRYHjvA
     
  2. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    I just love looking at the tape and the highlights because that's where you see what a real play-maker he is.

    Nowadays it seems like it's just not good enough anymore that you get a guy that can make all the throws and operate an NFL offense. You have to get a guy that scares the defense somehow and makes plays.
     
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  3. ajaffe9

    ajaffe9 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    A couple things I noticed after just quickly watching a highlight tape of Cato, which is my first time watching anything on him. I really like his footwork. He drops back in the pocket and his feet are calm. He has a nice bounce in his step, so he doesn't get caught flat footed but his feet aren't all over the place. You can see this when he's running around in the backfield and then sets his feet before he throws. Does a good job of controlling his body with his feet while scrambling. Not to say he's Brady, but after watching his highlight, I watched the highlight from the Pats-Jets game and saw Brady do the same drop back, bounce, and settle before the throw. Again, he's not Brady, but at a quick glance that part of their game looked very similar.

    Second, he seemed to do a good job of keeping his eyes downfield. He seemed like he was scrambling to escape pressure and find free space to throw, rather than just get downfield. In that sense, I do see the Rodgers orWilson comparison.

    One issue that may come up with him at the combine is hand size because he is a smaller guy, but we've obviously seen smaller QB's do just fine in the NFL. Also, on some of his throws, they didn't seem to be tight spirals every time which isn't a deal breaker, but something I noticed. Could have been just a small sample size though.


    Edit - One last thing, he has a great name. So there's that...haha
     
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  4. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    All good observations.

    Hand size will be something the NFL wants to see. He wears gloves during the games. Is that so that he can get a better grip on the ball? It shouldn't be a deal breaker. He should just continue to wear gloves in the NFL like a number of quarterbacks do. He's got a small frame so you're right that you do wonder how big his hands could be. However, he seems to control the football well in his hand, is able to execute pump fakes, etc...so that's a good sign.

    In terms of fumbling, he's fumbled 10 times in his career. He has run the ball (including sacks) 248 times, been sacked 81 times, and has attempted 1,565 passes. Those aren't bad ratios at all.

    The sack-to-fumble ratio may be as high as second highest in the group of quarterbacks this year, behind only Taylor Kelly.

    For the record that's a good thing. It means that he only fumbles the football once every 8.1 times he's sacked, whereas someone like Marcus Mariota fumbles the football once for every 2.2 times he's sacked.
     
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  5. ajaffe9

    ajaffe9 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    That's interesting to hear about the fumbling.

    I feel like he's going to get a lot of the same knocks that Bridgewater got going through the draft process about his frame. Hopefully, he doesn't have the same pro day fiasco trying to prove he doesn't need gloves to throw. When you see him running downfield holding the ball out with one hand like most QB's do, he did look comfortable holding the ball out there and seemed to have good control of the ball.
     
  6. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    His throwing motion and mechanics also show a comfort level gripping the football. He's got a wristy delivery, a bit like Michael Vick. You don't have a delivery like that if you have trouble gripping the football. Guys that have trouble gripping the football end up with a bit more compact push deliveries. Rivers' odd throwing motion supposedly developed over time because as a kid he kept using adult sized footballs and throwing them instead of ones that fit his hand.
     
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  7. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    I think a lot of it depends on what happens in the rest of the season. Realistically Marshall will never get into the playoff system no matter how much they beat their opponents by. However they could end up in a dog fight with ECU for a bid into one of the top six bowl games as one team from the "Group of Five" is guaranteed a bid for the Cotton, Peach or Fiesta Bowl. ECU is 5-1 while Marshall is 6-0. Judging by the remaining schedules it would be surprising if either team loses another game. But ECU's one loss was to South Carolina whereas Marshall hasn't played a team that good. But if Marshall is undefeated it would be pretty sh-tty to stick a 1-loss "Group of Five" team into the Cotton/Peach/Fiesta Bowl over them. I don't think they would do that, but you never know.

    Anyway what I'm getting at is this was basically the path UCF took a year ago with Bortles. If Marshall can get into the Cotton/Peach/Fiesta Bowl and they play a legit opponent and Rakeem Cato does well against them, he could ride a wave of momentum as the NFL has been a bit more forgiving of late to smaller quarterbacks (Mike Vick, Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, now Johnny Manziel). But that doesn't mean he'll go 1st round.

    But if you're asking me where he could end up on MY draft board? Easily the 1st round. He might be there already. But I absolutely would like to see what he does in the bowl game against a legit opponent, as well as the Senior Bowl and Combine, before I make that kind of final determination.
     
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  8. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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  9. rdhstlr23

    rdhstlr23 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    One other thing...

    @MarkGale is the Asst AD at Marshall. Chris, I tweeted you his info last week.

    He frequently updates what teams are visiting Marshall and as the draft nears gets a little more in depth also.

    Almost every team has visited, scouted, and watched tape on the Herd. And you have to believe most of it ia for Cato as he's the most prominent player. About half of thise teams have visited multiple times too.

    Chris, I know you like to do a ton of your own work and research. If you wanted o reach out to Mark, I'm sure he'd be very receptive to sharing some information. Super, nice guy.
     
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  10. BigDogsHunt

    BigDogsHunt Enough talk...prove it!

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    Bar none, he is a stock riser as a small school kid...he will climb significantly as the days go by come draft day. A sleeper now, but NFL! (not for long)
     
  11. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Looks like Rakeem did it. Broke Russell Wilson's record for consecutive games with at least one touchdown pass. Today was his 39th.
     
  12. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Nice day at the office, 13 of 25 for 200 yards, 4 TDs and 1 INT. Also 2 runs for 23 yards. Still some time left, up 38-7.
     
  13. CaribPhin

    CaribPhin Guest

    Never discount the guy who just makes things happen.
     
  14. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Marshall keeps making statements. They're up 45-7 here. Go undefeated and win all your games by an average of like 30 points? Man at that point you start to forgive the schedule.
     
  15. CaribPhin

    CaribPhin Guest

    Good on Marshall for putting on a show in their first Top 25 game of the season.
     
  16. CaribPhin

    CaribPhin Guest

    If FIU feasts on the teams Marshall beat then they (Marshall) could get a modest boost in perception.
     
  17. dolfan32323

    dolfan32323 ty xphinfanx

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    Marshall has looked dominant, obviously. I'm curious as to how many other players on that squad are going to end up in the NFL though. Cato is the obvious catalyst, but the offense and defense just clicks on all cylinders. Impressive.
     
  18. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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  19. rdhstlr23

    rdhstlr23 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Marshall, Cato and Dolphins related.

    Mark Gale ‏@MarkGale3 2m2 minutes ago
    Miami Dolphins (2nd visit) currently watching video. Their first visit was during camp and they attended our Miami (OH) game in August.
     
  20. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Y'all need to see this.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=dGQoF4R4wHM#t=235

    Just watch that two-play sequence. I've spent a lot of time talking about Rakeem Cato and for good reason. But from the very start Devon Johnson has been standing out as a fresh running back convert. He was a linebacker then I think he was a tight end and now he's a tailback. Just look at that run play. Watch the replay and see the way he cuts then gets up to speed, then of course look at the manimal way he finishes the play. I know you're tempted to think this is FIU, not a great school. But this is a school based in Miami that recruits Miami kids with Miami speed. So one thing FIU generally has I think is speed...yet Devon Johnson with as HUGE and powerful as he is, was giving them big time problems with speed on that play.

    And then of course, one play later, just look at the way Rakeem Cato broke Russell Wilson's record. What a thing of beauty.
     
  21. rdhstlr23

    rdhstlr23 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I don't want to hijack this thread, but I think they do.

    I think Chris Jasperse may have some place on a team as an OC/OG...similar to Doug Legursky.
    I think Darryl "Swagg" Roberts is pretty solid at CB. Not sure what he'll run, but he's pretty big and looks good.
    Devon Johnson our RB is going to get a shot based on this season alone. I think he's an H-Back in the NFL like Charles Clay. He came in as a TE & D-Lineman but loved playing RB in HS. He's been a God-send.
    AJ Leggett our starting safety was a 4 star recruit and looks like a stud. He won't come out for another 2 years at the earliest, but he'll find a home in the NFL.
     
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  22. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    I think Devon Johnson may be an NFL tailback.
     
  23. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    How can anyone see a play like this and dismiss this guy as a "product of a system" or "product of a schedule" or some such?

    Just look! (time index 6:14)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=dGQoF4R4wHM#t=376

    This is 3rd & 9. Collapsing pocket. I don't care who you have on your side or who you're playing, a collapsing pocket is a collapsing pocket.

    1. First thing he does on the play is use his eyes to draw defenders to the flat, which he does a lot on 3rd & Long by the way in order to free up guys at the sticks.

    2. He goes to his first read and doesn't like it.

    3. He feels pressure from LB #48 coming in on a delayed blitz and pulls the ball down to evade.

    4. HE KEEPS HIS EYES UP WHILE RUNNING FORWARD TO EVADE THE BLITZ. Cannot, cannot, CANNOT stress this enough.

    5. As a result of he identifies the open man on the right sidelines, but here's the point. It's one thing to see it. It's another thing to make the correct decision. A guy like him with his legs and mobility could easily fall into the trap of thinking he can get these 9 yards all by himself. He HAS space in front of him. But that's not his menality, and ultimately I'm not sure he'd have gotten the yardage even if he did have that mentality. He'll steal base, you see it plenty on film, but only when appropriate. Here he decides it's easier to get the 1st down as a QUARTERBACK than as a runner...and so he makes the decision.

    6. And this is another thing that deserves notice. He's running forward FAST. Do you realize how hard it is to suddenly come to a skid, SET YOUR FEET, and make this accurate a throw to the sideline? Are you freaking kidding me?

    Incidentally C Chris Jasperse hell of a pancake block on this play. He looks good.
     
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  24. CaribPhin

    CaribPhin Guest

    Noticeable on that pass is the fact that he didn't take the much easier RB pass and went for the more difficult one to the receiver. Coverage was tighter on the receiver but, "F*** it, I'm Rakeem Cato".
     
  25. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    It's notable but not in a bad way. I'd have been MORE concerned if he came off that receiver and threw it to the back.

    On that play as he gets his head around and rolls to his right, his job is to progress his reads from the inside-out, which also happens to be back-to-front. So his initial read is Ryan Yurachek the tight end. And no matter which angle you look at, Yurachek is open. He's got his hand in the air calling for the football because he knows he got open.

    So let's say that Rakeem Cato came off Frohnapfel and dumped it short to Devon Johnson. What does that tell us? It would actually raise a red flag, because it suggests that he had an open man but didn't throw it because he didn't have the confidence needed to pull the trigger and get the ball there, instead he opted to progress to his next read.

    Some people would probably defend it by saying he had a wide enough view that he was reading both at the same time and he just opted for the higher percentage throw. But I would be suspicious of that claim based on the play structure. It would make me question the player's confidence in his own arm and throwing ability, and set me looking for other instances where he's checking it down because he wasn't comfortable he could get it up the field.
     
  26. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    I added video of all his 2013 touchdowns to the list of resources:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJ0NJV175es

    By the end of 2014 I'm sure we'll have just as fun a video of all his touchdowns from this year.

    I also managed to download the Virginia Tech game from 2013. Probably the best defense Rakeem Cato has played in his career, that VT defense was one of the very best in college football last year. Chalk full of pro talent (Kyle Fuller, Kendall Fuller, Kyshoen Jarrett, Luther Maddy, James Gayle, Jack Tyler, Tariq Edwards, Dadi Nicholas, etc.), and was also coached well. Cato took VT into triple overtime if I'm not mistaken.
     
  27. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    I hate to keep going on like this but this just keeps getting better.

    Two Consecutive Plays - Time index 7:40
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=dGQoF4R4wHM#t=460

    FIRST PLAY
    This play is so commonplace for him you're almost tempted not to even call it a highlight. But I bring it up for two reasons. One is the next play is awesome and I really wanted to bring up THAT one and since this one was also good and came immediately beforehand, I might as well bring up both. But the second reason I bring it up is just that I've noticed this year that Cato's deep ball seems to be getting better and better. I mean he really hits this dude in stride on the outside shoulder perfectly here and look at the replay, that's a very pretty ball. His shoulder aiming, footwork, everything perfect on this throw which I think ends up being about 48 yards through the air.

    SECOND PLAY
    Look at the speed and decisiveness, how slow the game is for him.

    At first this looks like a straight staredown of his slot receiver who is running a route to the flat (Tommy Shuler). But is it? With this quarterback, you literally never know. He could easily be trying to manipulate the zone defender that is trying to cover the outermost receiver who is running a deeper route (I think a post). Cato does this all the time. I mentioned it earlier.

    We'll never really know if it was a staredown or not, although it wouldn't matter much even if it was a staredown because the defender covering Shuler was in straight man coverage with no help and therefore he's not watching the quarterback's eyes anyway.

    So Cato feels the pressure, escapes it quickly flashing some very nice athletic ability. Shuler meanwhile has tagged his out route into a vertical. But that's no good because they're too close to the end zone, and Richard Leonard has him covered for the deep ball anyway.

    So then Cato's out there signaling to Shuler, come back to me, come back to me. That's how slow the game is to him. He's running to the sidelines with his hair on fire and he's directing traffic. And of course, Shuler and Cato have been best friends since they were 6 years old. They've been playing football together since then, too. Cato says come back to me, Shuler's not going to sit there looking like a dog being asked geography questions. He's going to come back to him, and so that's what he does.

    It's like Peyton Manning running for his life because Donald Brown misses a block and Peyton is yelling "Damnit, Donnie!!!" while his hair is on fire and he's trying to figure out what to do with the football. I think that much presence of mind is rare in a quarterback.

    And then of course Cato makes a perfect throw while running to his LEFT (important distinction), which isn't much of a surprise because he makes a ton of perfect throws running to his left.

    There's actually a play in one of the videos I created, I think toward the beginning of the video, where Cato tries to do this again with a receiver. But the receiver wasn't Shuler. That time Cato was flashing his hand and telling the receiver, run deep, run deep! But the receiver just stood there short along the sidelines near the sticks. So eventually Cato guns it into him because the DB never closed on him, probably because he saw Cato signaling to the guy to go deep. They got the 1st down of course.

    I just marveled at that play because the game is slow enough for Cato that he had the presence of mind to direct his troops, and even had the presence of mind to make the decision he needed to make when his troops refused to follow directions!

    THIRD PLAY
    By the way, if you want to just wait one more damn play, that's a pretty freaking excellent touchdown throw. I mean, just look at the improv on this. Pause and look at the play a few times if you need to.

    He's reading but then a wide open lane opens up in the line in front of him so he presses toward it as if he's going to run. But once again he KEEPS HIS EYES UP and notices he's got an open guy, throws a perfect strike, touchdown.
     
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  28. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    I know Aqua is fond of saying that Rakeem Cato is a better version of Russell Wilson, whom he's not been a big fan of.

    I think Rakeem Cato could be the player everyone THOUGHT Robert Griffin was.
     
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  29. rdhstlr23

    rdhstlr23 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Rakeem Cato is fun. Big game vs FAU Saturday.
     
  30. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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  31. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    I would be really disappointed if Marshall goes undefeated and the Playoff Committee puts East Carolina in the Peach, Cotton or Fiesta Bowl instead of Marshall. That would be a huge upset. You have to give it to the undefeated team.
     
  32. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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  33. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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  34. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    dolfan32323 likes this.
  35. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Brain storm.

    What if you took that touchdown run the way it worked out, and turned it into an OPTION play?

    Maybe this is just too much execution. But the play above seems like a counter. It's structured like inside-zone with the back lined up to Cato's right side while Cato is in shotgun. Cato hands off the football and instead of flowing to his left, the back immediately cuts back to the right side. That's what makes it a counter. If it were inside-zone and the back were lined up to Cato's right then he'd be flowing left and looking to pick and weave his lane from there. An immediate cut to the backside should mean it's a counter.

    But here's where the fun could start. Since this play starts like an inside zone, Cato's mesh with the back looks like a classic zone-read. Typically if he keeps the ball on the zone-read then he's hitting the backside. In this case it's not REALLY a zone-read (just looks like one), as he probably knows he's handing off to the back no matter what because the back is already planning to cut back and hit the backside.

    Given the play's design the defense already expects Cato to peel to his right after the hand-off, because if he'd kept it that's exactly where he'd be running. But what if you have him hand the ball off to the back who executes an east-west cut to the backside like a counter, Cato peels off the mesh and runs with him with classic option toss spacing, and the back makes a decision whether to keep the ball and cut up the field, or toss the ball BACK to Cato?

    And what if Cato threw a flea-flicker pass off that setup?
     
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  36. rdhstlr23

    rdhstlr23 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I have my druthers with Bill Legg at times. What's odd is that play worked and we never set up the play. We didn't run a single WR screen all game. We haven't run one in quite some time..one of my issues with the play calling actually...zero short/intermediate passing game these days.

    Cato sold it great twice though for sure.

    First time a RB led Marshall in rushing yards and receiving yards (Devon Johnson) since?? Ahmad Bradshaw. Pretty nice company.
     
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  37. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Fair. I'd like to see what he can do when they build an offensive attack around him. They already do to an extent, it's why they call plays the way they do. But I've seen this with guys like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Drew Brees. People don't realize that earlier in their careers they were play-action quarterbacks. Each one of them.

    Peyton Manning's early offenses were built around Marshall Faulk and then Edgerrin James, and Manning was known as one of the best play-action passers out there. His play fakes were renowned. It wasn't until a few years into his career that he began evolving into an offense unto himself, and it started to take shape as a hurry-up, no-huddle type of an offense where he calls everything on the field.

    Tom Brady was a caretaker in 2001, that's what everyone said. His job was to play smart football while the Pats played great defense and ran the football with Antowain Smith and some other nobodies. And in 2002 when they changed the structure of the offense to be more pass-centric, they took a step back as a team. People on these boards were still saying that Brady was a weak-armed construction of his offense until he won those Super Bowls after 2003 and 2004.

    And Drew Brees was no different at San Diego. No different at all. He was a play-action passer that complemented the ground game which featured LaDainian Tomlinson. In fact there were studies conducted by yours truly showing how much his passer ratings declined in games where Tomlinson wasn't running well. Then he goes to New Orleans and they formed an entire pass-centric offense around him.

    All of these guys survived the test of being turned into THE offense. So I think it may be important for Russell Wilson's legacy that he do the same eventually. But I wouldn't be in a hurry to do it if I were them and not because I have any doubt whatsoever about Wilson's ability. Quite frankly they're doing a bad job helping him evolve into that. His OL has him running for his life and has been doing that for two years if people would actually notice. And they're doing a bad job with the skill guys around him catching passes. They imported an uber-expensive locker room cancer for a 1st round pick and then ditched him before he could even start to pay off on the football field. They let Golden Tate walk out on them for Brian Hartline money, for christ's sakes. And you're damn right I'd have been all over Tate as a free agent if I were the Dolphins.

    They need to surround this guy better, and THEN make him a Drew Brees. He'll do it eventually. He's always going to be good no matter what you do to his offense or surrounding cast. But you don't just want to prove that a guy is good by making him the bright spot in a sea of darkness. You want more Super Bowls. That means continuing to rely on the stars you have (Marshawn Lynch being one of them) and doing so until you can acquire more quality assets that allow you to move into being something else.
     
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  38. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Here Doc Holliday reiterates to Jim Rome on Rakeem Cato's competitiveness:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJOLSd-xsqc

    That's pretty incredible. This isn't just a slip of the tongue. Doc Holliday coached Philip Rivers and Tim Tebow and insists that Rakeem Cato is more competitive than either of them, and implies that what he means by that is how much he wants to win every single snap of practice as well as the game, and how much he prepares for the games.

    What's interesting is that if you read between the lines a little bit, his model for the most competitive quarterback he's been around was probably more Philip Rivers than it was Tim Tebow. That's something that I think has been underplayed a little bit as far as the media goes, about Rivers...he's pretty competitive in the extreme. Probably the most competitive, "I expect to win everything I do" quarterbacks I can think of that way are Tom Brady (notorious for this), Peyton Manning (same) and Dan Marino (I don't need to explain this one). I don't have the exposure to know this about Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees but they give signs of being exactly the same way. I've always thought Rivers belongs right there with those guys not just in terms of his being a good quarterback but in terms of his being a competitive perfectionist.
     
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  39. BigDogsHunt

    BigDogsHunt Enough talk...prove it!

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    With Marshall's schedule (without knowing Bowl matchup) they will run the table on the regular season. Cato's stock will rise, then the rumor's or question marks, or nitpicking because its CONF USA or what not will happen, and his stock with waiver.

    then its about if he participates in combine, or just personal work out, etc.

    But come draft day, I can see him as 1st QB off the board.
     
  40. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    I'm as big a fan of him as you'll find but I forecast very, very little chance he is the first quarterback off the board.

    He will participate in the Combine. He won't be in position to refuse. He will also hopefully be invited to and participate in the Senior Bowl. That could really make or break him because of the perception based on the way he speaks that he's not that intelligent. The evaluators will want to see what happens to him when you take him out of his comfort zone and out of the system he knows so well.
     
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