Georgia Tech linebacker Derrick Morgan meets with the Dolphins http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/thed...acker-derrick-morgan-meets-with-the-dolphins/
morgan has great athleticism but too stiff to play 3-4 OLB he is more geared toward being a 4-3 DE imo
I don't have a write up finished for this yet, but here is a package on Morgan. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kk5iJtQhocY"]YouTube- Universaldraft.com presents - DE Derrick Morgan - Georgia Tech[/ame]
I still see so much Tamba Hali in him it's kind of scary. Morgan will be a heck of a pass rusher at the next level I think. I'm not sure if he'll be more than that, then again I don't think he'll need to be much more than that. But, I think I'd still draft Brandon Graham ahead of him.
One thing I noticed was that he does get off the ball very quickly. I don't know if it is him having an elite first step, but his reactions to the ball are very, very fast. He shoots his hands well, but he has rather elongated hand strikes and arm motions. I don't know how much of a factor it is in his game, but did anyone notice that he ends up on the ground a good deal of the time when he doesn't actually have to go to ground. He's not Brian Price, but if you look closely, you see it - or maybe I'm seeing things.
No that's one of the things that immediately stands out in your video, a lack of balance, going to ground a lot. That's one of the reasons I see him as a real savvy pass rusher at the next level eventually but I'm not sure how much more than that. I wonder if Brandon Graham won't be drafted ahead of Morgan though.
I think we'll see a few options there at 12 that will beg some fans to say, why him and not him. I do have an issue with Graham, that may not make him as ideal as we think. I want to double check it, but there is something that has caught my eye. And, if Morgan has this "issue" then it would likely preclude him from making the switch. If he has this issue in close quarters, then what happens in space? In my mind it is looking more and more like Jerry Hughes is squarely in our sights as an edge rusher IMO.
if that is the case, then we don't need that - since we already have Wake ... we need, and hope we get a 'rangy' type OLB that is good in space -- rather than a rusher with short arms.
I know what you exactly mean. I remember watching him against Iowa and thinking how he was on the ground so often when dipping his shoulder. 34 1/2" arms is nice IMO.
You crack me up man. You talk like you just cracked the Da Vinci code. Why don't you just say what you think might be an issue about him? I've probably scoured 5 or 6 games of his by now within the last week or two, I can at least offer some insight as to whether I've seen that or not.
Just cause I'd rather make sure than say something that may be incorrect. And, yeah maybe I did crack the DaVinci code, that way I get to hang out with the hottie French chick...... Plus, we are to talk about that this weekend.....kill the drama why don't you?
Do you see a redundancy with Hughes and Cameron Wake? Great edge rushers with questions about run support, and pretty much the same size. Hughes is a heck of a player, but I'm thinking that I'd like to see a lot more of Wake this year. I'm getting intrigued by the talk of taking Iupati- curious as to your thoughts on taking him and also Spiller. Cheers. Iupati video: http://www.mynfldraft.com/NFL-Draft-...10/Mike-Iupati nice move at :30 http://www.draftcountdown.com/ScoutingReports/OG/Mike-Iupati.php http://www.draftcountdown.com/sub/Rankings.php
People with great athleticism aren't "stiff in the hips". Have you watched his tape or are you just repeating what some draftnik is spouting about him? This guy is anything but stiff in the hips. On tape he's twisting and torquing his body this way and that to clear the corner around a tackle, changing direction mid stride to make a tackle and plays with a vicious level tenacity. This time of year people overanlayze and nitpick. On tape this guy is special, and that's what should count most. If somebody would like to elaborate and provide examples of why he's "too stiff" I would really appreciate their perspective. But at this point, I don't see what those people are seeing.
If you watch the last section of the video you should see a player that does show he is a stiff in the hips in comparison to other players such as Jerry Hughes as an example. The big thing with Morgan is why is he on the ground so much?
I think Iupati is a ruse to be honest. He's a guy who isn't a tackle at he next level, and needs to learn to play G at the next level. I upati can get lazy with his footwork and relies on grabbing his opponent a good deal, rather than using his punch effectively and relying on his technique. He has some good qualities, but at 12 he might be too much of a "gamble" due to who else you could have with the pick. Spiller may be a consideration, as he could be seen as the replacement for Percy Harvin in the offense. I can see that, except is Spiller that much of a receiving threat in this offense? We can't find a use for Ronnie Brown's hands yet we will now look for Spiller more often? Brown's hands are as good as most wide receivers' hands, and are likely better than Spiller's IMO. WE run the ball way too much on the interior for Spiller IMO, to be as effective as he could be in say a West Coast system. Spiller may be a closer fit to a Brian Westbrook, than what we may ultimately seek in running backs. In both Parmalee (sp) and Hilliard we chose physical runners, not quick elusive backs. We have to find fits within what we seem to do, and in reality neither player Iupati or Spiller may be the answer. Someone who may be a better option might be TCU's Daryl Washington....pair him with Dansby and see how athletic our inside backers become. Wake and Hughes are different players really IMHO. Hughes is ridiculously athletic for a man his size - Wake is rather stiff, although both do have an uncanny ability to overpower blockers on a bull rush.
Are you thinking Jerry Hughes at #12? I have noticed on a lot of internet mocks he is now being taken in the 20's . Where about a month ago it seemed like they had him in the upper to mid 2nd round.
Yes. I know CK disagrees with me in terms of seeing Hughes grow into a strong side player, but with his power in his lower half I think he could. Hughes is rather thin in his upper body in comparison to his legs. And, I think some of his issues against the run can be attributed to the manner in which he engages opponents. We have a video of Hughes up on UD that shows how he engages players compared to how he really should do so. One play against BYU he shows a more conventional manner in engaging, and he doesn't look soft there. Most times, he plays very vertical in how his upper body sits. He almost squats into blocks in IMO.
Sometimes its good to make sure you're not being too critical, as thats what you find your self doing is highlighting faults and talents. It can be easy to be too negative.
I went back and studied the whole tape again, and the last minute in particular. Have to say I still didn't see the stiffness. In that section of the video, I saw alot of plays away from him in which he had to pursue, which he did fairly well if not very well. Too bad we don't have much in the way of him in coverage, if any at all. That would be more telling as to stiffness in the hips. As for the being on the ground thing, I see what you're saying, it does happen alot. However, if you study each play closely, there are only a couple of plays in which he was flat knocked to the ground by others. Most of the plays in question actually involvede HIM intentionally diving in an attempt o make a play, and if you look even closer, you should see that he was diving to try to make a play that he probably had no business in making. Usually, I see players get locked up with the blocker and simply never get a chance to make any play at all, and we ding him for not being able to disengage and/or poor hand use. But this guy is getting off of blocks and at least making a 100% effort at trying to grab an ankle here or there in hopes of making a play that he shouldn't. Add to this theory the fact that he plays at 100 mph and it's easy to see why that happens more than with your average guy. Does he play a little reckless? I think so, and it will cost him from time to time. But that's the way I like my defenders. Reckless abandon. It's so much harder for the blockers to handle. Lawrence Taylor was reckless IMHO.
There is a lot more than Morgan diving trying to make plays, he does so when he tries top catch Spiller on one play, but many times he is either off balance or gets controlled and pushed to the ground, when really he doesn't have to be. Playing with reckless abandon doesn't mean you end up on the ground, doesn't mean you get turned or controlled either. Morgan has issues using an arm over, swim to work his way free. His best move is to push off then work his way to the ball. Morgan doesn't always use his hands to work himself free as much as he does his feet. Many players can't handle that, unfortunately, he can have trouble with players that due lock out and create jolt when they engage. He struggles with leverage at times, and ends up coming off the ball upwards rather than forwards. His best move is to rip past his man if he wants to get into the backfield, but his movements are long to say the least. Many times however, he doesn't keep his hands moving to work free and can get controlled and pushed around by better players. Players with good punches will control Morgan pretty well. 0:44 He gets pushed on the ground by his blocker, there is no dive to make a play. 2:18 is an example where he simply gets ridden down the line, gets put on the ground again. I'm not saying the plays he dives are plays he ends up on the ground. Unfortunately, Morgan does go to ground a bit more than he should, and it isn't due to his diving at players trying to make plays. 2:52 is an example of how Morgan gets put on the ground, and again he isn't diving trying to make plays; he got controlled. 1:01 he gets completely turned and removed, and against North Carolina, #80, their TE blocked him effectively all game long. 8:22 gives a decent example of how he needs to gather himself for an extra beat before he changes his direction. 5:39 shows he redirects inside and has a hard time actually getting to the QB before he falls down. He isn't thrown to the ground here. I'm not saying the guy can't move, but we need someone whoe can handle dropping back 15-20 yards on some plays. I don't think Morgan can do that to be honest. There are also instances where he shows that he needs that extra step to change directions. There are plays that do show Morgan standing up or dropping off into a short zone, but those are all he had in those 3 games. There are a couple of plays that show he doesn't look very good dropping back. How much of that is due to practice given they only ask him to cover about 5 yards, and how much is due to his inability to move well. I'm not saying Morgan is horrible, but he does get locked up and can be put on the ground. He doesn't always use his hands to actually disengage other than his rip at the POA or to push off when he engages; providing him space. The question is how well will that work with players who are good punchers themselves? The answers can be seen when he does face those players in the video. Those are just a couple of plays I mentioned, there are others. I'm not talking about plays where he gets held, of which there are two, but others where he gets turned, he gets shoved down.
right now i want the dominant weak side OLB .... we have Wake how is a spot rusher on the strong side ... our 2d OLB pick can be a SOLB type - such as Edds (who seems a bit like Roth). i don't want to go to plan B and put JT back on the weak side this year, UNLESS he is just starting the year there -- and we have the understudy in the fold, who can take over later in the season. i still believe we will draft an OLB in rd 1 or 2 -- then again in 3-5 ..... we just need too much help there, and i don't want to put too much stock in Wake growing from being a pure pass rusher. at this point, IF he does -- bonus, but it can't be counted on for this season.
