So finally we round out the NFC South, by looking at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa did ok with last years lot and with free agency, so I was expecting (perhaps unfairly) big things from Tampa this year. I think they lived up to the reputation.
It all begins in round one with Adrian Clayborn. I love this kid, I really do. I think it was a great pick, especially at 20th overall. Great value. Clayborn is a seriously talented Defensive End who could finally help the Buccaneers get the pass rush that they need to start taking advantage of what is an increasingly talented young team.
Probably Clayborn's greatest attribute is that of block destruction. I wouldn't go so far as to say he's unblockable, but he does have a real talent for using his hands to get unstuck. In particular he is very adept at fending off cut blocks while keeping his eyes up and in the backfield.
If I had one knock on Clayborn it's that his speed isn't great, but I think he makes up for that with his other skills, like his awareness against the run. If he finds himself on the backside he does a great job of sticking to the hip of the last blocker and making sure he plays his proper run contain assignment. Now there are a lot of pros who struggle with that, so I always find it impressive in a rookie.
It's a core skill for defensive ends and it gives you an insight into his maturity. See, my experience has been that players don't do the fundamental things unless you ram them home. If you want a DE to play backside contain, you have to relentlessly tell him and show him. If he does it, it means he actually listens. All too often it's too tempting for a young player in that position to crash down the line and go chasing for the highlight reel play.
Seeing him playing his run responsibility pitch perfect is impressive. When you couple that with the way he plays the run as it comes towards him, keeping his shoulders square to the line and tracking the running back across the field while fending off blocks, it tells me that Clayborn already has a very solid base of skills to work from and will listen to his coaches to learn everything he can.
When you consider all that, it makes Clayborn a tantalising prospect. My hope is that the Buccaneers will put Gerald McCoy on one side as a DE - a position he had some success with last season - then insert Clayborn opposite him. With those two coming off the edges and causing havoc, that could push the Buccaneers defense to a level it hasn't reached since the days of Warren Sapp.
Of course there's still the chance that the Buccaneers will want to keep McCoy at defensive tackle and that's made more likely by their second round pick; Da'Quan Bowers.
Bowers, a defensive end from Clemson, fell into the Buccaneers lap at number 51 overall. It was something of a miracle that he made it this far down, but then that's what knee surgeries in the off season can do to a kids draft stock. The risk with knee surgery is that you never know how it's going to pan out. It might get better and the player returns to normal, as we saw with Wes Welker in 2010. Or it can go decidedly down hill and the player never fully recovers their speed and agility.
The Buccaneers have taken a gamble, but a calculated one.
Bowers is a mixed bag if I'm honest. He plays pretty smart and seems to have a good grasp of everything going on around him. He sniffs out reverses well and has the speed and determination to pursue plays from the backside.
But generally speaking if you can get your hands on him then Bowers gets locked up. And that is quite an issue for a defensive end. If you can't beat the blocks, how are you supposed to get to the QB? My overall impression then of Bowers was that he often seemed to luck out.
If you don't block him on the blitz then he has the speed to get through, but you're kind of relying on the generosity of other people for that which isn't exactly a recipe for success. This problem is compounded by the fact that the Buccaneers are a 4-3 team who aren't going to be regularly calling on linebackers to bring pressure, confusing or tying up the blockers.
Left to face an offensive tackle one on one, I'm not sure if Bowers has the technical ability to make things happen for himself. I just see him getting wadded up on the outside and not really being able to be of much use. And I'm not even talking sacks. I can't even see Bowers bringing much in the way of QB pressure.
Onwards and upwards then, into round 3 and the 84th pick overall, linebacker Mason Foster. Not a lot to say here really. Foster is a pretty good tackler, but his pass coverage is a definite weak point. That's problematic not just because he's a linebacker in a 4-3, but because the Buc's play a fair amount of "Tampa 2" coverage, which means their linebackers are needed to drop back and fill zones over the middle. That might expose Foster I feel.
Round four saw the Buccaneers take tight end Luke Stocker. An understudy to Kellen Winslow II it would seem. Stocker isn't very quick, but he is strong and has good balance, both of which aid good run blocking. He has good hands which is always a plus, and even though he's not all that fast his strength allows him to fight for extra yards. Not a bad pick in the fourth round.
In round five the Buccaneers went with Florida safety Ahmad Black. Black is a good tackler, who reads the plays really well. His range is pretty good and he breaks on the ball well, playing it well in the air. The Buccaneers made progress at the safety spot in 2010, but the addition of Black gives them that extra boost.
In round six it was running back Allen Bradford from Southern California. Bradford is very much in the same mold as LaGarrette Blount. He's big and strong, but also has a surprising turn of speed in the open field. His agility is also pretty impressive. That's a bonus because it makes him a legitimate second back to Blount, where he'll bring many of the same skills which should help his coaches blend him into their scheme without having to make special dispensations on his account.
In round seven the Buccaneers had two picks, courtesy of a compensatory selection. The first of these they used was on Florida international cornerback Anthony Gaitor. Now I warn you that I'm a confirmed fan now of Anthony Gaitor, so expect this to be glowing to the extreme.
Gaitor had a fast 40 time at his pro day, but I'm always a little wary of 40's in general and especially at pro days. On the field, Gaitor can sometimes look a little sluggish in pads, but don't let that fool you. Gaitors play and route recognition are absolutely superb. He's a great tackler and he plays the ball really well in the air.
Now I had a suspicion he would fall this low and I also mentioned in my cornerbacks post that I feel Gaitors late round evaluation is a huge mistake that shows everything that is wrong with scouting. For my money, I think Gaitor dropped because of where he played (at Florida International). If he was playing for a bigger college, he would have been much higher ranked.
The film is there. You can clearly see that Gaitor is a quality corner. He displays all of the skills that you would expect and also has safety potential in there. He easily looked better on game day than guys like Amukamara and Peterson. His intelligence and vision are plainly superior, yet he ends up in the seventh round.
I don't get it?
Lastly was Daniel Hardy, the tight end from Idaho. I first came across Hardy while looking at Nathan Enderle. Hardy has good hands and great route running technique. Speed is good, if not exceptional. In particular, Hardy seems to thrive in the rough and tumble world of catching over the middle. I really like Hardy. Is he an elite guy at the next level, like a Vernon Davis? I'm not sure. But I can see him on the same level as guys like Hernandez and Gronkowski in New England.
So that's it, the entire Buc's draft class done. Personally I think they had a pretty good draft. Clayborn to start was a great pick. Then came Bowers. I might not be a big fan of him, but the Buccaneers obviously are and importantly they got great value out of him because he was a projected first rounder who dropped to them in the second.
Mason Foster is another question mark for me, but other than that it's all good. The two tight ends they acquired have a lot of promise I feel. They got another good young back to share the workload with Blount and I think they really hit a home run with their selections of Black and Gaitor.
I like what the Buccaneers have done here for their defense. They've improved the defensive line and the secondary all in one go. Perhaps they didn't need two tight ends, but I can live with it because of the development potential there and because it's more weapons for Josh Freeman. An extra wide receiver would have been a nice addition, but the Buc's should do well regardless.
2011 is starting to shape up nicely for the Buc's. They'll be looking to reap the fruit of last years impressive rookie class, mixed with this one. On the basis of what I've seen, I think we'll all have to keep an eye on Tampa Bay this year.
Showing posts with label Da'Quan Bowers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Da'Quan Bowers. Show all posts
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Thursday, April 07, 2011
2011 NFL Draft: Defensive Linemen
I'll get round to the D-linemen in a bit.
But first I want to tackle an issue that keeps raising it's head as part of the ongoing labor dispute between the artists formerly known as the NFLPA and the NFL. It's the idea that the NFL is a monopoly.
Now my understanding of Monopoly is that you have complete control over some resource - knowledge or bread for example - or you have complete control over the means of delivery such as a pipeline for oil for example. From this we get the phrase "to monopolise" a commodity.
But here's the thing; we have the Arena Football League and the United Football League currently in operation. Alright so one league only has like four teams and the other is an indoor league, and they're certainly not on the scale of the NFL. But the point is players have a choice coming out of college. If Von Miller wants, there is nothing to stop him ignoring the NFL team that eventually drafts him and signing with a UFL team. If Peyton Manning wanted to, there would be nothing to stop him (as a free agent) from signing with an Arena team.
The only reason that no player will sign for those leagues unless it's a last resort is because they know that the NFL pays much better. That's not a monopoly. It's not exactly the widest of choices, but it's by no means a monopoly.
What is also starting to bug me is this question "Where are all the practice squad and backup players?" Do these guys not understand that any court ruling in favour of the players that threatens the salary cap will leave them absolutely shafted? There is almost no chance that these players - who make up the majority of those affected - will get a good deal out of this. Sure Peyton Manning and Tom Brady will benefit from a player friendly deal such as "true" free agency, but the players at the bottom of the pile won't. The only thing that surprises me more than their lack of understanding is that the league hasn't latched onto this and gone after the little fish, failing to realise that they could be the key to breaking the back of the "union".
Anyway, onto (finally) my take on the D-line class for this years draft. Once you've seen the size of this lot you'll understand why it took so long to watch all the tape;
- Nick Fairley. Let's start with someone controversial shall we. The case with Fairley is simple; he had a great year, but is he a one season wonder? Well, I've watched some of his games and I'm pretty convinced by what I see on the field. I had the same worry as mentioned above about him being a one hit wonder, but then I remembered the lesson of Jason Pierre-Paul from last year. I was also a little worried that it might have just been his size and power compared to college linemen, but then I remembered the lesson of Ndamukong Suh from last year. On that note, I'm backing Fairely to do well. I think...
- Marcel Dareus. Talking of comparisons to Suh, it's Marcel Dareus. Quick feet, quick hands, keeps his head up and is alert to what's happening in front of him. Might not be as strong as someone like Suh, but possibly a little more versatile. I like him.
- Da'Quan Bowers. Plays pretty smart, aware of reverses and things like that, pretty quick and pursues well. He has some nice moves in the open field at times. But here's the thing. Sometimes he seems to get stuck to blockers like he was glued to them. I just worry that Bowers is one of those guys who only makes plays when you let him, as opposed to forcing the issue himself.
- Robert Quinn. Fast, reasonably strong, sometimes can get great leverage positions on linemen. But I'm not sold. He has off the field issues stemming from an incident involving him and some fellow team mates taking jewellery and trips from agents, which he then lied about to investigators, and then tried to dodge around during a public interview at the combine where he claimed he didn't realise what was happening. He's only played two seasons of football and hasn't played at all in the last year. I'm also concerned that he inflated his stats in a game against Virginia, which isn't truly representative of how he'll perform at the next level. Sorry, but wouldn't touch him. Let someone else take the risk.
- Cameron Jordan. Not bad at all. Pretty strong and very relentless in pursuit, but spent a lot of time in college getting double teamed. The fact that he did so well in spite of that tells you a lot, but it's still a little risky. Might fall as a result.
- Aldon Smith. There's going to be a lot of fans who don't follow the college game going "who?". Smith isn't getting much attention which surprises me, because I came away very impressed from watching his tape. quick, very hard working, technically very sound in terms of hands and footwork and tracks well across the field from sideline to sideline. Expect good things for Mr. Smith.
- Adrian Clayborn. Strong, quick, sheds blocks beautifully. I think the term I would use is block destruction. Technique is very sound and he rides the hip of blockers going away from him very well. Sneaking suspicion he may just be the best D-linemen in the draft this year, so odd that he's not getting more attention. Keep an eye out for Clayborn and hope that he's coming to a city near you.
- Ryan Kerrigan. Pretty quick, gets a great burst of speed going at the snap. Has good use of the hands and at times looks like he has the decision making skills of a seasoned pro D-linemen. Very good. Very impressed.
- J.J. Watt. Incredible speed off the snap. Just ridiculous for a man of his size. Has nice moves and chases every play hard. Tackles well and isn't afraid to put his head in harms way for his team. It's that explosive start that sets everything up though. Will likely do well in the league.
- Corey Liuget. Pretty strong and occasionally gets some nice leverage on O-linemen. Sheds one on one blocks pretty well, but not really mobile enough. Keeps getting caught up in the wash around the line of scrimmage.
- Cameron Heyward. Quite strong and occasionally flashes some good technique, but all too often seems to be running around flapping his arms and not contributing much. Too inconsistent I feel.
- Drake Nevis. Great speed for his size. Powerful. Uses his hands very well. A great all round inside linemen. Could be the next B.J. Raji.
- Allen Bailey. Pretty quick kid, but only ever seems to have an impact when he's left unblocked. Otherwise has a tendency to just run around ineffectually.
- Stephen Paea. The strength he displayed at the combine (I think it was 49 reps of 225 lbs) is for real. Sometimes he'll just barely get a hand on a running back and yet bring them crashing to the ground. Quick and has pretty good technique. All that helps him to shed blocks. Might slip down because people think he's just a workout warrior, but that's a big mistake. I'm going to put my neck on the line and say he's a worthy first round talent.
- Muhammad Wilkerson. Was very impressed at the combine with Wilkerson. Less impressed now. All hype, no action. If I wasn't specifically watching him I'd barely notice he was on the field.
- Justin Houston. Not exactly what you would call technically gifted. But has speed to burn. Will likely fit in very well as a 3-4 pass rushing outside linebacker, but will need to work a lot on his run technique.
- Sam Acho. Boring film. Nothing remarkable.
- Christian Ballard. Uses an unconventional four point stance, but whatever works for him I guess (it does!). He gets great leverage on a consistent basis, driving up under the pads of the O-line. Great footwork. Keeps his head up and his eyes on the play, staying aware of everything happening in front of him. Drives hard. Excellent linemen.
- Marvin Austin. One of the fellow team mates of Richard Quinn caught up in the same scandal and was indeed kicked off the team as a result. On film he looks like an excellent inside linemen, but how much will the absence from action affect him? Sorry but wouldn't take the risk. If he goes undrafted then definitely give him a shot in camp.
- Phil Taylor. Demonstrated a lot of strength at times, but that only made what often followed all the more frustrating. He would get caught on a block and just give up. No pursuit. Lacks that relentless drive that is so essential.
- Jurrell Casey. Watched about 30 snaps then got bored of watching him get blocked. Might have gone on to take over the game single handed, but I doubt it.
- Brooks Reed. Had a great combine in the drills by my measure and plays like a classic 4-3 DE. But seems to get sacks more through fortune and not endeavour (when QB steps up for example). Works hard though, so maybe it's simply a case of getting his just rewards? I'll have to have another look later, possibly after the draft. Tentatively going to suggest he might be sneaky bargain.
- Jabaal Sheard. Character question over involvement in a fight, but appears to have eaten humble pie over that issue and put it behind him. Otherwise strong, quick, has fantastic technique, and pursues hard. Might end up slipping quite a way because of the character issue and end up as an absolute bargain. Will make an excellent NFL DE if he pays attention and puts the work in.
- Chris Carter. Very quick and agile. Gets a great body lean "turning the corner" on an offensive tackle. Not the strongest or most technically sound. Reminds me a lot of DeMarcus Ware, but perhaps not quite on that level.
- Cliff Matthews. Pretty quick, technique is not bad, a good tackler and chases plays well. Maybe more of a low round prospect.
- Terrell McClain. For his size has impressive speed and agility. Not a bad late round pick.
- Dontay Moch. Very quick and has plenty of energy for bounding around the field, but not all that strong. Another who will be more suited as an outside linebacker in a 3-4.
Right, that's that lot then. Two things though just quickly. I was gonna look at Jeremy Beal, but given that he spent most of his time in an upright stance, I'll cover him in the linebackers post. And then there is Miami Hurricanes running back Damien Berry.
I didn't cover him in my post on running backs, because I've only just stumbled across him. He was pretty darn quick and had some nice open field moves, especially when getting downfield as a receiver so might be one to consider.
Next up for me is the Linebackers, which I hope to have posted by Sunday night. There's quite a few names to look at...
But first I want to tackle an issue that keeps raising it's head as part of the ongoing labor dispute between the artists formerly known as the NFLPA and the NFL. It's the idea that the NFL is a monopoly.
Now my understanding of Monopoly is that you have complete control over some resource - knowledge or bread for example - or you have complete control over the means of delivery such as a pipeline for oil for example. From this we get the phrase "to monopolise" a commodity.
But here's the thing; we have the Arena Football League and the United Football League currently in operation. Alright so one league only has like four teams and the other is an indoor league, and they're certainly not on the scale of the NFL. But the point is players have a choice coming out of college. If Von Miller wants, there is nothing to stop him ignoring the NFL team that eventually drafts him and signing with a UFL team. If Peyton Manning wanted to, there would be nothing to stop him (as a free agent) from signing with an Arena team.
The only reason that no player will sign for those leagues unless it's a last resort is because they know that the NFL pays much better. That's not a monopoly. It's not exactly the widest of choices, but it's by no means a monopoly.
What is also starting to bug me is this question "Where are all the practice squad and backup players?" Do these guys not understand that any court ruling in favour of the players that threatens the salary cap will leave them absolutely shafted? There is almost no chance that these players - who make up the majority of those affected - will get a good deal out of this. Sure Peyton Manning and Tom Brady will benefit from a player friendly deal such as "true" free agency, but the players at the bottom of the pile won't. The only thing that surprises me more than their lack of understanding is that the league hasn't latched onto this and gone after the little fish, failing to realise that they could be the key to breaking the back of the "union".
Anyway, onto (finally) my take on the D-line class for this years draft. Once you've seen the size of this lot you'll understand why it took so long to watch all the tape;
- Nick Fairley. Let's start with someone controversial shall we. The case with Fairley is simple; he had a great year, but is he a one season wonder? Well, I've watched some of his games and I'm pretty convinced by what I see on the field. I had the same worry as mentioned above about him being a one hit wonder, but then I remembered the lesson of Jason Pierre-Paul from last year. I was also a little worried that it might have just been his size and power compared to college linemen, but then I remembered the lesson of Ndamukong Suh from last year. On that note, I'm backing Fairely to do well. I think...
- Marcel Dareus. Talking of comparisons to Suh, it's Marcel Dareus. Quick feet, quick hands, keeps his head up and is alert to what's happening in front of him. Might not be as strong as someone like Suh, but possibly a little more versatile. I like him.
- Da'Quan Bowers. Plays pretty smart, aware of reverses and things like that, pretty quick and pursues well. He has some nice moves in the open field at times. But here's the thing. Sometimes he seems to get stuck to blockers like he was glued to them. I just worry that Bowers is one of those guys who only makes plays when you let him, as opposed to forcing the issue himself.
- Robert Quinn. Fast, reasonably strong, sometimes can get great leverage positions on linemen. But I'm not sold. He has off the field issues stemming from an incident involving him and some fellow team mates taking jewellery and trips from agents, which he then lied about to investigators, and then tried to dodge around during a public interview at the combine where he claimed he didn't realise what was happening. He's only played two seasons of football and hasn't played at all in the last year. I'm also concerned that he inflated his stats in a game against Virginia, which isn't truly representative of how he'll perform at the next level. Sorry, but wouldn't touch him. Let someone else take the risk.
- Cameron Jordan. Not bad at all. Pretty strong and very relentless in pursuit, but spent a lot of time in college getting double teamed. The fact that he did so well in spite of that tells you a lot, but it's still a little risky. Might fall as a result.
- Aldon Smith. There's going to be a lot of fans who don't follow the college game going "who?". Smith isn't getting much attention which surprises me, because I came away very impressed from watching his tape. quick, very hard working, technically very sound in terms of hands and footwork and tracks well across the field from sideline to sideline. Expect good things for Mr. Smith.
- Adrian Clayborn. Strong, quick, sheds blocks beautifully. I think the term I would use is block destruction. Technique is very sound and he rides the hip of blockers going away from him very well. Sneaking suspicion he may just be the best D-linemen in the draft this year, so odd that he's not getting more attention. Keep an eye out for Clayborn and hope that he's coming to a city near you.
- Ryan Kerrigan. Pretty quick, gets a great burst of speed going at the snap. Has good use of the hands and at times looks like he has the decision making skills of a seasoned pro D-linemen. Very good. Very impressed.
- J.J. Watt. Incredible speed off the snap. Just ridiculous for a man of his size. Has nice moves and chases every play hard. Tackles well and isn't afraid to put his head in harms way for his team. It's that explosive start that sets everything up though. Will likely do well in the league.
- Corey Liuget. Pretty strong and occasionally gets some nice leverage on O-linemen. Sheds one on one blocks pretty well, but not really mobile enough. Keeps getting caught up in the wash around the line of scrimmage.
- Cameron Heyward. Quite strong and occasionally flashes some good technique, but all too often seems to be running around flapping his arms and not contributing much. Too inconsistent I feel.
- Drake Nevis. Great speed for his size. Powerful. Uses his hands very well. A great all round inside linemen. Could be the next B.J. Raji.
- Allen Bailey. Pretty quick kid, but only ever seems to have an impact when he's left unblocked. Otherwise has a tendency to just run around ineffectually.
- Stephen Paea. The strength he displayed at the combine (I think it was 49 reps of 225 lbs) is for real. Sometimes he'll just barely get a hand on a running back and yet bring them crashing to the ground. Quick and has pretty good technique. All that helps him to shed blocks. Might slip down because people think he's just a workout warrior, but that's a big mistake. I'm going to put my neck on the line and say he's a worthy first round talent.
- Muhammad Wilkerson. Was very impressed at the combine with Wilkerson. Less impressed now. All hype, no action. If I wasn't specifically watching him I'd barely notice he was on the field.
- Justin Houston. Not exactly what you would call technically gifted. But has speed to burn. Will likely fit in very well as a 3-4 pass rushing outside linebacker, but will need to work a lot on his run technique.
- Sam Acho. Boring film. Nothing remarkable.
- Christian Ballard. Uses an unconventional four point stance, but whatever works for him I guess (it does!). He gets great leverage on a consistent basis, driving up under the pads of the O-line. Great footwork. Keeps his head up and his eyes on the play, staying aware of everything happening in front of him. Drives hard. Excellent linemen.
- Marvin Austin. One of the fellow team mates of Richard Quinn caught up in the same scandal and was indeed kicked off the team as a result. On film he looks like an excellent inside linemen, but how much will the absence from action affect him? Sorry but wouldn't take the risk. If he goes undrafted then definitely give him a shot in camp.
- Phil Taylor. Demonstrated a lot of strength at times, but that only made what often followed all the more frustrating. He would get caught on a block and just give up. No pursuit. Lacks that relentless drive that is so essential.
- Jurrell Casey. Watched about 30 snaps then got bored of watching him get blocked. Might have gone on to take over the game single handed, but I doubt it.
- Brooks Reed. Had a great combine in the drills by my measure and plays like a classic 4-3 DE. But seems to get sacks more through fortune and not endeavour (when QB steps up for example). Works hard though, so maybe it's simply a case of getting his just rewards? I'll have to have another look later, possibly after the draft. Tentatively going to suggest he might be sneaky bargain.
- Jabaal Sheard. Character question over involvement in a fight, but appears to have eaten humble pie over that issue and put it behind him. Otherwise strong, quick, has fantastic technique, and pursues hard. Might end up slipping quite a way because of the character issue and end up as an absolute bargain. Will make an excellent NFL DE if he pays attention and puts the work in.
- Chris Carter. Very quick and agile. Gets a great body lean "turning the corner" on an offensive tackle. Not the strongest or most technically sound. Reminds me a lot of DeMarcus Ware, but perhaps not quite on that level.
- Cliff Matthews. Pretty quick, technique is not bad, a good tackler and chases plays well. Maybe more of a low round prospect.
- Terrell McClain. For his size has impressive speed and agility. Not a bad late round pick.
- Dontay Moch. Very quick and has plenty of energy for bounding around the field, but not all that strong. Another who will be more suited as an outside linebacker in a 3-4.
Right, that's that lot then. Two things though just quickly. I was gonna look at Jeremy Beal, but given that he spent most of his time in an upright stance, I'll cover him in the linebackers post. And then there is Miami Hurricanes running back Damien Berry.
I didn't cover him in my post on running backs, because I've only just stumbled across him. He was pretty darn quick and had some nice open field moves, especially when getting downfield as a receiver so might be one to consider.
Next up for me is the Linebackers, which I hope to have posted by Sunday night. There's quite a few names to look at...
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