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Looking ahead to 2010 prospects

Discussion in 'NFL Draft Forum' started by joeydolfan, Apr 29, 2009.

  1. ToddsPhins

    ToddsPhins Banned

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    Berry is actually the same height/weight right now as Ed Reed and Brian Dawkins were coming out....and he's probably the closest thing to Reed we'll see over the next ten years. I'd give up our 1st 3 picks next year for that in a heart beat.:up: Game changers like this are worth every bit of 3 average to good players when you already have a team full of young talented players IMO.
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  2. ToddsPhins

    ToddsPhins Banned

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    We have so much young talent right now that we're almost forced to cut some of it as it is. There comes a time when great coaching can only take you so far and you plateau as a team.... and a boost is needed to help you turn the corner and take it to the next level IMO. Berry is an Ed Reed/ Nnamdi type guy who offenses have to fear on every snap bc he can cost them the game at any time.

    If we were the Phins from 2 years ago, I would completely agree with you. :knucks:
     
  3. Boik14

    Boik14 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Top TE prospect Jermaine Gresham's season is done after knee surgery today. He probably would have been the first TE off the board in this years draft with 950/10TD in 08.
     
  4. PerfectTeam

    PerfectTeam Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Wow. That's shocking. Oklahoma is cursed this year it seems. I wonder is Gresham is granted a medical year or whatever is called.
     
  5. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    A very interesting name is Nate Solder of Colorado. He's their left tackle. Good agility, former tight end with good feet and agility , but is incredibly raw. His height (6'9", 305 lbs, runs a 4.8 forty) becomes a disadvantage at times, he gets too tall and he'll sometimes come out too quick out of his stance that he drops so far back, he is vulnerable to an inside move. He also has some issues with allowing the defender into his chest. He's clearly very raw but would be an interesting project. I haven't seen enough of him to say exactly what I think of him but I've been watching this Colorado/Toledo game for about a quarter. Colorado also plays on 9/1 against WVU I think so there's going to be another shot of watching him, whoever wants to.


    EDIT: Wisconsin's LT, Gabe Carimi, is a massive guy, much like Solder above but he's not raw like Solder. Carimi is an underclassman and he looks pretty damn good against Fresno State right now. Mind you, I've only been watching the fourth quarter and OT so I'm working off of little tape but that's another guy to keep an eye on.
     
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  6. texanphinatic

    texanphinatic Senior Member

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    He will be an interesting prospect to watch so to speak. Almost certainly a first rounder, being out for the season, how far might he drop. Where will his potential outweigh the injury?

    Bradford will be interesting to watch as well. He wasnt lighting it up before that injury. If he has a mediocre season, how far might he fall?
     
  7. PerfectTeam

    PerfectTeam Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Bradford I don't think falls that far if he declares. The Rams, Seahawks, possibly the Jags all could use a QB. Gresham if he doesn't use his medical year, could be interesting where he goes. Bottom of the first, early 2nd is where I think he would ultimately end up depending on his interviews and workouts and such.
     
  8. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    On Bradford's injury.

     
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  9. ToddsPhins

    ToddsPhins Banned

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    Top 15 draft pick- Derrick Morgan DE, GaTech....total package end/ possible hybrid. Can really take over a game and seems to thrive in carrying a D on his shoulders. Relentless, disruptive force. Extremely quick off the snap with a strong burst. Athletic; plays with good balance/leverage; sinks his hips well; powerful and agile; displays good awareness; loose hips for his size; good change of direction; determined pass rusher who doesn't give up on a play. Awesome motor. Competitive and plays with fire and passion. I'm lookin hard at this kid as Joey's replacement! LOL
    Tech WR Demaryius Thomas is quite a Calvin Johnson type physical specimen! He's in the wrong offense to shine in, but he's got big time potential if he can post a good 40. If we need a big, tall, physical target next year, I'm completely following this kid.

    Patrick Sapp did a surprisingly good job on the outside against the option. He could end up being a better Pro Hybrid than a college DE....and Jarvis Jenkins was a continuous monster in the middle virtually taking Jonathan Dwyer out of the game. Deandre McDaniel might end up a better Safety than Hamlin or Clemons- have to keep an eye on him this season.

    Oregon Safety, TJ Lang, really impressed me last week before spraining his ankle. Kid's a thumper and makes plays all over the field. Great motor and seems to be a real leader who plays with a ton of passion and fire. Showed great instincts when the play's in front of him and closes on the play in a hurry; would like to see how well he does turning around. If I need a Safety, TJ is nearing the top of my list (outside of Berry and Mays).
     
  10. tallfolksrule

    tallfolksrule New Member

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    Anyone have thoughts on drafting a backup/quarterback of the future this year? There should be a lot of future backup quarterbacks in this draft once you get past Bradford at OU. Thinking the likes of Snead (Ole Miss), McCoy (Texas), Tebow, Robinson (Ok State), Keenum (Houston), LeFevour (Central Mich) all have the potential to be good and could be found from the 2nd to 4th round. I've always been of the mindset that you can never have too many good young quarterbacks and I'm not sold on Henne and White.
     
  11. Stitches

    Stitches ThePhin's Biggest Killjoy Luxury Box

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    There's Tim Hiller too.


    No way to know they could be found in rds 2-4 though. Who knows who will jump up into rd 1 by the time it's all said and done.
     
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  12. tallfolksrule

    tallfolksrule New Member

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    I know some of those guys are better than others, and I know we've got a full year of scouting before any of them could realistically be slotted to a round; I'm just saying that I am definately in favor of spending a 2nd or 3rd round pick on a quarterback that will actually play quarterback. I think the Wildcat is on it's way downhill and guys like Steve Slaton will go back to having to play wide reciever like Randle-el did.
     
  13. Anonymous

    Anonymous Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    ^^, Steve Slaton is the starting runningback for Houston. I think you meant Pat White.
     
  14. tallfolksrule

    tallfolksrule New Member

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    Quite right you are. Thanks for the correction. They were one and the same to me in college and I still get them flipped on occasion.
     
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  15. ToddsPhins

    ToddsPhins Banned

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    well....Pat's a Dolphin now, so someone might throw tomatoes at you if ya still mix him up with Slaton. :D

    Just teasin brother. We'll have too many "starter" roles to fill or improve upon.... so unless anything drastic happens with Henne or White, we'll probably look for a quality, developmental QB in round 4 or later (like Stephen McGee from Texas A&M last year). Alen, CK, Con, Boomer, and KB (hope I'm not forgetting anyone) will probably give is a few good names for that list.

    KB will probably only give us names of guys who run a spread option, so you might want to take what he says with grain of salt. :lol: Just kiddin, KB.
     
  16. ToddsPhins

    ToddsPhins Banned

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    here's a dark, disturbing thought- hypothetically speaking only, what if we finish 6-10 and can draft Dez Bryant in the first and Gresham in the 2nd? Does that qualify as a mixed emotions? How does our offense become with Ginn and Dez on the outside and Bess in the slot...and Gresham at TE? Hart can rotate in..... and Turner in the redzone. Let's say we also add Spiller, Best, or a speedy scat back to boot (just for kicks and giggles). LOL
     
  17. texanphinatic

    texanphinatic Senior Member

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    Or the kid from Illinois - Benn?

    I would not mind coming out of the draft with a top WR - I am not sold on Ginn. Depending on Ronnies season though, I would also think we may be looking for a RB as well.
     
  18. Anonymous

    Anonymous Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Arrelious Benn or Dez Bryant would do wonders for this offense. Same with Jermiane Greshame. But, I doubt we draft one of them. I'm keeping my eye on Brandon Spikes.
     
  19. Gunner

    Gunner Rock Hunter

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    He'd definitely be an upgrade over what we have at ILB & couldn't go wrong with taking him at all IMO :up:
     
  20. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    Its a bit tough to envision this front office taking a wide receiver in the first round, or at least it is tough for me. With other positions that need help like nose tackle, outside linebacker and inside linebacker, it's almost like the wide receiver position is on the back burner unless the names on Ireland's big board are absent by the time we pick. I like Dez Bryant a lot but from everything that I know, he also tends to have a fiery attitude. The Oklahoma State coaching staff has told him on more than one occasion to quiet down about the lack of passes being thrown his way and looking at it, I could understand why he wants the ball but I don't think he needs to be loud about it.

    Jermaine Gresham I like as well but I don't think this front office do or would. The reason is that he's not a great blocker. I think he's a better one than some say but he can be pedestrian. He's an interference blocker and not a dominant one like Pettigrew was coming out. I know there are very few in-line blockers like Pettigrew but my point is that Gresham still needs to put some work into it because he's not a very good one. He also tends to have concentration issues from what I've noticed. He sometimes will come up with a ridiculous catch that will display his athleticism as well as his ability to stretch the field. However, other times, he will be an open target and will drop the ball. It gets very frustrating watching him at times because he has so much ability but it gets negated because of drops. I think those two things, especially the lack of higher quality blocking, would steer us away from him. I've been wrong before though so they could very well select him next year. We'll see.

    I don't have an issue with Ted Ginn, what I have an issue with his the other receivers. We've drafted Hartline, Turner and added Bess. Bess is a very good pass catcher in my opinion that works the slot the best. Hartline is a player I like but he's unlikely to be one of the better receivers in this league in my opinion. Turner is iffy. I still think his hands will keep him away from reaching his potential but I think he can be a pretty good player for us, just not an outstanding one. What we're lacking is a guy who can draw those double teams or get yards after the catch. I also think we need a guy who can take advantage of Ginn's ability to draw the safety deeper when we have a quarterback that can make all the necessary throws (Henne). If or when Ginn's speed is used to its full potential - whenever that may be - then I think a hard nosed, physical wide receiver that can get yards after the catch would be a good addition to this team. One of those guys could be Benn or Bryant. I'm just not sure they would take one of those two.

    Do you (guys) think that we could draft a running back in the first round? I don't see it happening but maybe you do? The reason I ask is because if they don't want to tie up Ronnie Brown to a contract extension that gives him a large sum of money then would they be willing to invest a high number into a rookie? I don't think so but maybe I'm wrong. If they were willing to, I wouldn't complain with Jonathan Dwyer.
     
  21. ToddsPhins

    ToddsPhins Banned

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    The old me would completely agree with you on this as the old me thought that a big time playmaker wasn't necessary if you wanted to run a smart, ball-controlled offense behind a great Oline. After watching last season, preseason, and the Atlanta game, the new me feels that that our greatest team need is a, physical, offensive playmaker b/c Ginn, Ronnie, Henne etc will struggle more w/o the aid of one.

    As we all know, our defense didn't lose the Atlanta game for us and is by far the weakest link of this team. IMO Miami has beaten our offense into conservatism like a dead horse, almost like we've overemphasized it and forgotten that we also need to score from time to time (w/o the aid of the WC). Our only chance to score is if our conservative offense lulls the defense to sleep from boredom. LOL. j/k. We have made ourselves so conservative that we are now 1 dimentional, and it's time to make it a little more dynamic.

    The past few drafts/off season FA action have been nothing but conservative, and it's gonna catch up to us. Our RBs: Hilliard and Parmale- conservative, no serious explosion like an Ahmad Bradshaw type; our WR's: Turner, Hartline, Camarillo, Bess, Wilford, London- conservative possession receivers with zero sub 4.5 40's; Our TE's: Fasano, Haynos, and Nalbone- slower, non-explosive, blocking, conservative ends who combined for 1,354 receiving yards their senior year of college. The most explosive player we've added to the offense is a lineman- Donald Thomas. LOL.

    I agree that a team needs TE's that can block well.... but how many of those type guys do we need? We desperately need an explosive receiving TE to complement Fasano IMO.... and if Gresham drops, I'd be all over him. He doesn't have to be a great blocker, bc when he's in the game defenses would have to play us straight up b/c they'd have to fear his big play threat catching the ball, which can aid the run equally as effective.


    Bingo, Alen!! My sentiments exactly!! We spent a 1st round pick on Ginn, so we're committed to maximizing his strengths/talent if we want to see the best return on our investment and also if we want our team to be as successful as possible. IMO having a physical playmaking threat who can draw double teams (as you say) would make Ginn one of the better #2 WR's in the league, as well as Ginn making "said" WR all the more effective as well.

    Considering the players on our offense, a Benn/Bryant type receiver would greatly maximize the production of:
    1. Ginn (by drawing double teams... Will increase his TD's and YPC)
    2. Fasano/"Gresham" (by opening up the middle for a playmaking TE)
    3. Ronnie (by keeping the secondary more honest)
    4. Henne (for obvious reasons LOL).

    ~~Now add Gresham to the mix and he aids:
    1. Ginn and Benn/Bryant (by helping occupy the safeties)
    2. Henne (for obvious reasons- extra premier target, redzone threat, and less double coverage on WRs)
    3. Brown (by keeping Safeties and especially LB's more honest)
    4. Bess and Hart (draws LB's to open up middle short-intermediate routes).

    Benn or Bryant and Gresham both aid the entire offense b/c they force a defense to have defend every square inch of the field while playing virtually mistake free football. I would think they'd probably also help keep our line from seeing an all-out assault for 60 minutes. For the team we currently have, I really don't see another single position having as big an impact on the other 10 guys on their side of the ball as these 2. You could maybe argue Terrence Cody. a pass rusher, or Mays/Berry... but I think they would have less of an overall impact b/c our defense is already pretty good. Not to mention, I'd like to be proactive by having a playmaking WR seasoned and ready when Henne takes over rather than putting us another year behind.

    Notice how the explosive teams seem to be held in check in some games.... then all of a sudden the defense makes 1 mistake and the offense breaks a big one... then within a few minutes the score goes from even to a 14 point swing and the momentum shifts? We're like the complete opposite of that. LOL.

    I agree with you. If we're willing to spend a 1st round money/pick on a Ronnie Brown replacement, then we might as well re-sign Ronnie and use that pick else where.... or else it's like wasting a pick IMO. We re-signed Carey for the same reason IMO b/c they didnt want to let him go only to use a high pick on his replacement (which might have cost us Sean Smith). If we re-sign Ronnie, I wouldn't be against drafting Spiller/Best b/c they complement Ronnie and brings a whole new dimension to the offense/return game, but I wouldn't use it on a back who is a virtual clone of Brown. Ideally, I'd like to re-sign Ronnie and add a very explosive scat back who doubles as a return man.
     
  22. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    While I agree with your last sentence about teams having to respect his ability, I think that we need a tight end who can block well because of the two tight end set in the run game. Do we have quality blocking tight ends right now? I think they are OK.


    i agree with you on the benefits of having players like the two listed but now here's something to ponder, how realistic are those two targets and what are the odds of this management taking them? In my opinion, slim and slim.

    The defense is pretty good but could use an upgrading in some spots and really, I think would benefit quite a bit with players at the safety and inside linebacker positions. I really like Chris Clemons; I think he's got good range and coverage skills and I also feel that he's a quality player in run support. I wouldn't mind seeing him starting in place of one of our two safeties to be completely honest, because I feel that the issue with our current starting safeties is that they are a step late or put themselves in bad position to make a play. I think Gibril Wilson must have been late on a number of passes against Atlanta but I could be wrong.

    Mays I don't like. We already have a safety who doesn't catch interceptions. Berry I wouldn't complain about one bit but again, how realistic are the chances of us landing him? Unless we win four to six games this year and Berry runs a terrible forty, I don't see it.

    I'm not big on drafting a scat back early, especially first round despite how much I like Spiller. If we were to let Ronnie go though, a guy like Ben Tate I wouldn't complain about. Charles Scott is also a plower without great timed speed, which I don't really mind. I'd imagine he'd be in the 60-90 pick range. I know those guys fall somewhat in the Ronnie Brown type of players but those are guys that I like a little and Ricky Williams is done in a year. Patrick Cobbs could be the guy who brings a different dimension to the offense.
     
  23. Anonymous

    Anonymous Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    How do you guys feel about Damian Williams? Could be a good receiver to draft. How about A.J Green, If he declares? Some names to ponder.

    Personally, unless Soliai steps up, my choice is Terrence Cody. Or Brandon Spikes to replace Akin.
     
  24. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    I've got them on tape, just haven't looked at it yet because of other stuff. I will soon though.
     
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  25. Anonymous

    Anonymous Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Cool.
     
  26. ToddsPhins

    ToddsPhins Banned

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    Alen, I also would be shocked if we walked away with any of those guys (Benn, Bryant, Gresham, or Spiller). I don't think we should draft any RB in the 1st, but I wouldn't be upset if we took CJ. LOL

    I only mention those guys as a reference for the type of players I feel we need bc most of us know who they are. ;) I am curious though to see how far Gresham slips.

    This draft is one that I wouldn't mind seeing us trade up in, or trade future picks to get an extra 1st round impact player.
     
  27. Stitches

    Stitches ThePhin's Biggest Killjoy Luxury Box

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    AJ Green is awesome, but I don't expect him to come out (he's a sophomore as far as I know anyways).
     
  28. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    I honestly don't see him slipping that far. He was going to be an 16-25 pick prior to the draft IMO and I don't think that really changes. What I could see though is a team like Baltimore taking him.
     
  29. ToddsPhins

    ToddsPhins Banned

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    I guess I was wrong-- I was under the impression he was a top 12 pick prior who might slip to the late 1st round. Question: in your opinion, which 2-3 1st round players would you consider trading future picks for if the draft were next week?
    By the way, your Canes looked great! Tremendous game planning and coaches made all the right calls. Whipple did an awesome job to take Derrick Morgan out of the game. ;)
    Posted via Mobile Device
     
  30. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe tight ends tend to fall. Some talked about Brandon Pettigrew as a top twelve pick last year and in my opinion, he has better hands and is a much better blocker than Gresham. The only difference is that he's not as athletic and he can't stretch the field like Gresham. However, we saw Pettigrew drop to 20 I think it was? It sounds about right for Gresham too IMO.

    There's very few guys in any draft that I would do that for. Looking at our team needs and the draft talent pool, I don't see any player worthy of trading a pick. If I was looking for a five technique end than maybe Gerald McCoy because I think he has Richard Seymour-like talent. I also like Ndamukong Suh but I wonder if he's best fit in the 3-4 as a 1 gap, penetrating NT and/or a defensive end. Those are the only two that are off teh top of my head right now. I'm sitting in class so I don't have my draft eligible notebook of players in front of me.

    Completely agree. They look really good, I thought. Morgan really took himself out of the game IMO. He looked awful out there on some plays, overpursuing and getting gassed on the long drives. I was not impressed by him. He was the complete opposite against Clemson but it seems like he's gone back down to earth.
     
  31. ToddsPhins

    ToddsPhins Banned

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    You're not wrong.... but with this now a passing league I didn't see why he couldn't be taken in the Top 12 after Vernon Davis and Winslow were taken 6th, Shockey 14th, and Bubba Franks 14th.

    He was only a Junior last year, so I have to give him a little leeway for blocking development, especially considering the offense Oklahoma ran and how important he was as a receiving TE. If he has the desire, then I'll give him the benefit of the doubt as far as developing into an adequate blocker. I agree about Pettigrew, but he also has a few years of physical maturity on Gresham. If Gresh came out last year, Buffalo possibly takes him at 12 IMO. However, if he feels blocking is beneath him, then I agree he belongs in the late 1st.... at best.


    I have the same mixed feelings about Suh, and I think you might be right about McCoy. :wink2: I'm normally not a fan about trading future picks, but if it can add a playmaker now rather than wait another year for who knows what, then I'm all for it this year.... b/c IMO we're at the 3 year point where we need to begin focusing on adding playmakers rather than more depth. I'd like to see Clemons playing a bit too, if nothing more than to get a better idea if we need to target Berry. I'm not a fan of Mays right now either. :no:

    One thing I noticed is Miami did a great job of game planning following the GaTech-Clemson game. Morgan looked to be "off", but I think that was more credit to Miami's play calling and execution. They did a great job double teaming him most of the game and calling plays away from him. From what I recall, Morgan was rarely if ever 1 on one. I don't think there'd be a DE in the country who wouldn't be gassed after what Miami did to him. LOL.

    It seemed like the Canes designed part of the offensive game plan around wearing down Morgan... in part b/c Miami knew he had little help on the Dline so that they could exploit him easier with little risk of giving up a big defensive play. You ran screens and quick slants, which I complained that Clemson needed to do in order to neutralize Morgan. Ga Tech doesn't have the best defense outside of Derrick, and Clemson stupidly allowed Morgan to beat them.... where as the Canes forced the rest of Tech to beat them IMO. Just an awesome job by Miami!!!!
     
  32. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    True but some of those were years ago. Lets look at the last few years and the first tight end taken.

    2009: Brandon Pettigrew, 20
    2008: Dustin Keller, 30
    2007: Greg Olsen, 31
    2006: Vernon Davis, 6
    2005: Heath Miller, 30
    2004: Kellen Winslow Jr., 6

    Vernon was three years ago. That's quite a while IMO. Kellen Winslow was five years ago. How have those two panned out? Winslow has shown potential but he's been injury plagued and has shown attitude issues. Davis has not lived up to the billing and he's also had attitude issues. The others, aside from Pettigrew, have had success. Olsen is the focal point of the Chicago offense, Keller showed that he can stretch the field but he's used as a blocker right now because of the lack of blocking tight end and then Heath Miller has helped the Steelers a lot with his blocking and pass catching.

    I'm not saying Jermaine Gresham can't be taken in the top twelve, I just don't see it. I've been wrong many times before though.

    According to OU statistics, they ran more than they passed. 589:517 ratio in favor of the run game so he did get quite a bit of work at it and we got to see him. If Gresham came out, Buffalo might have taken him but we don't know that for sure. They had the opportunity to take Pettigrew, a much needed player IMO, and they passed on him to settle for Shawn Nelson later, who I like. They could have done the same if Gresham was available.

    I agree with the bold but I also don't see any harm in adding depth, which is why I'm reluctant to trade draft choices.

    Lol good point and I agree about the last line. :lol:
    It seemed like the Canes designed part of the offensive game plan around wearing down Morgan... in part b/c Miami knew he had little help on the Dline so that they could exploit him easier with little risk of giving up a big defensive play. You ran screens and quick slants, which I complained that Clemson needed to do in order to neutralize Morgan. Ga Tech doesn't have the best defense outside of Derrick, and Clemson stupidly allowed Morgan to beat them.... where as the Canes forced the rest of Tech to beat them IMO. Just an awesome job by Miami!!!![/QUOTE]
     
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  33. ToddsPhins

    ToddsPhins Banned

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    Alen, OU did run more than pass, but I don't think many can disagree that they weren't considered a passing team behind Bradford, or that Gresham's main role wasn't as a pass catching TE. They also blew out so many teams early that they could run the ball much more often in the 3rd and 4th qtrs which makes the run to pass ratio misleading IMO.

    Buffalo might have completely passed on Pettigrew b/c they preferred a better receiving TE than blocker, hence drafting Nelson. I just looked-- right now, Drafttek has Gresham going #5, and TheHuddleReport has him going #16 (and both are fairly accurate regarding the range that players are drafted in).

    If Gresh played this year, he'd be OU's all time leader in TD receptions (he's 2nd now by 5 to Mark Clayton. He has 111 catches for 1,629 (15ypc) and 26 TDs....and has greatly improved each year-- going from receptions: 8-37-66.... Yards: 161-518-950.... and TD's: 1-11-14. It's conceivable that he could have ended his career with 200+ catches, 3000+ receiving yards, and 42+ TDs, ranking him 1st or 2nd in every OU all-time receiving record. LOL.

    If a player can potentially give an NFL team 1,000+ yards and 10+ TD's every season, then that player is worthy of a top 12 pick regardless of the their position IMO (which would be greater than the production we've gotten from Ronnie so far. LOL). To me production is production, so I'd personally prefer not to downgrade it if it comes ala the TE, so IMO it only depends on whether or not teams feel he can be this productive. I agree that TE's don't normally need to be drafted early in the 1st round, but I feel that's less from "trend" and more due to not having the talent available to warrant drafting that high. KC traded up from 18 to 13 to grab Tony Gonzalez, and teams might be inclined to do the same with Gresh if they feel he can produce similarly. I think he has the ability to become that big of an impact player.

    If Winslow Jr can go 6th, then I see no reason why a healthy Gresh cant go top 12.... but then again, many a different paths can be taken toward success. ;)
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eH4lRMr4Nc"]YouTube - DraftParty: TE Jermaine Gresham Highlights Oklahoma 2008[/ame]
     
  34. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    I'll get to a response for your post in a bit, Todd, but I first want to say how impressive Boise State's Kyle Wilson is. I brought him up last year as a guy that I thought could be a late first rounder, early second but then I watched him and noticed that he ran away from ball carriers at times. Go and watch that bowl game against TCU. It was very disappointing to watch. Tonight, he looks good once again. He's not facing great wide receivers with Fresno State but he's blanketing them and he's punishing them at the line of scrimmage despite his smaller frame. What I like about him other than that he's probably the best or one of the best cover corners and his ball skills are good is that he takes advantage of every yard in the 5 yard contact rule. He punishes the receiver from the first time he takes a step and rides him for five yards, then proceeds to blanket him. Impressive. He's also stuck his head in run support, which I like considering what I saw last year. He's been used some on zone blitzes and looks good.

    Boomer's guy, AJ Jefferson of Fresno State, also looks pretty good. He's not getting much blocking as a kick off returner but he's done what he can. At cornerback, he made a couple of open field tackles including one that saved a touchdown. The defensive line failed to clog the middle, Avery was all alone in the open field and Jefferson caught him from behind and made the tackle. He's shown some quick hips too. Looks to be a longiligne (long-limbed) player.

    EDIT: Love how Kyle Wilson is making me look terrible right now. Inconsistency is showing up in his play again, as he's over-pursued once, showed the lack of ability to get off a block and turn back into the run play down field.

    Also, what a run by Ryan Matthews. Looks to be a nice back with good speed and size. Had a nice cutback on the run. He's also got lower body strength and isn't taken down by ankle tackles, unlike Chris Wells was coming out. Sleeper right there. I like him a lot. Andre Brown-esque player?
     
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  35. Die_Nasty

    Die_Nasty Well-Known Member

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    I really like Brandon Spikes as a possible player I would trade up for, but I am usually very against trading up for players. I really hope Spikes drops to us and I'm a Canes fan. :P
     
  36. Anonymous

    Anonymous Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I would love to have Brandon Spikes play next to CC.

    One player I would have loved to have was Mark Herzlich. I remember Boomer praised him very much last season. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with Cancer in Spring.
     
  37. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    Anyone watching Ndamukong Suh against Virginia Tech? I've only watched the fourth quarter thus far but three things stand out: his strength, he's fighting double teams this whole quarter and he's shown the ability to disengage off of multiple blockers to tip passes and he's shown he's pretty light on his feet as he made a nice play on his feet along the line of scrimmage to force a third and short, in which he tipped to force a fourth down.
     
  38. ToddsPhins

    ToddsPhins Banned

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    I'm watching UF-Tenn, but I recorded Nebraska to watch Suh later on. I saw him terrorize a few mediocre OLines, so I wanted to see him agaisnt some better competition (Render). Alen, you'll have to share thoughts if you think he can be a "Seymour" type player...maybe play end on 1st and 2nd and move inside on passing downs?
     
  39. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    I don't know about that. I haven't seen a great amount of Suh but he seems like a 1 gap nose or 2 gap end from what I've seen. The only reason I bring up McCoy as a 5 technique, Seymour-like player is because I've seen him play the spot and play it very well at Oklahoma. They often go to a 3 man front and McCoy is shifted out to the five technique and he collapses the pocket pretty well.
     
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  40. Die_Nasty

    Die_Nasty Well-Known Member

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    Unfortunately that game wasn't televised near me.

    Honestly if we could use this thread to talk about players we should being paying attention to and how they performed in the current game (or create a new thread for that) that would be awesome. I am definatly interested in Suh and Mccoy, what are your guys thoughts on Cody? Over-hyped?
     

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