The Missing watch listers

To start off, time just quickly to point you in the direction of this video from NFL network. Basically this covers the Patriots vs Jets game from their "Playbook" show. What intrigues me is that the "pick" play is shown and yet there are no comments about the fact it's illegal.... only for the crew to go on and show two more plays later which are described as "picks". One of these is erronous; the play at 2:58 is simply a screen pass and is perfectly valid (on review, nope. That's actually pass interference as well as I understand it). The play shown at 3:47 however would constitute a clear pick and is labelled as such. But what concerns me is that at no point does anybody stand up and say "oh by the way, pick plays are illegal in the NFL and are covered under the rules for offensive pass interference. Technically speaking, it's cheating,". Now I'm not ragging specifically on the Patriots. A lot of teams run these sort of plays. But it just bugs the hell out me. It's illegal for a reason; because it is almost impossible for the defense to stop. Someone from the mainstream needs to make it a bigger issue. I'm always seeing flags being thrown because some defender put an arm out on a receiver and touched him beyond five yards, or because a pass rusher had the audacity to lay a finger on a quarterbacks helmet. So now I'd like to see these illegal offensive plays cut out. I'd like to see offenses stop taking the easy, underhanded route out of tough spots like 3rd and 4th downs, or red zone conversions against tough defenses. For me it's a joke. I don't understand how you can choose to enforce some rules but not others. In his book, "Finding the Winning Edge", Bill Walsh makes the point that a team has to follow through with their entire scheme of fines and punishments for players who break the teams rules, regardless of who that player may be, otherwise the system as a whole becomes pointless and players wont respect it. This is precisely what is happening with the NFL. They're picking and choosing which rules to enforce and which ones to let go. Certain teams also, at least on the face of it, appear to be getting picked out for preferential treatment or harsher enforcement. Add on a fine system that doesn't make sense half the time and seems to wildly escalate from a players first offense to his second, and suddenly you have a ridiculous joke of a system that very few fans and players seem to respect. I'm just saying. Now moving on it's time for us to take a look back at the 2010 NFL draft and, using the magic of 20/20 hindsight, find which players probably should have made my rookie watch list. We're gonna start on our retrospective journey by scanning the lines of some of the articles I wrote in and around the time of the Indianapolis combine. I specifically (and quite sadly) arranged time off so I could sit back and watch as much of the combine workouts as humanly possible. Largely from this study, players like Kendrick Lewis, Kam Chancellor and Jeff Owens made the watch list. Which renders even more inexplicable the reason why some others who caught my eye did not. I'm toying with the idea of putting these players retroactively onto the watch list, but it does seem like a bit of a cop out (especially in the case of Jacoby Ford). Then again, is it fair to let these players slide just because I failed to go back and check my notes properly? We'll see. So, who are these mysterious players? Without going into detail of their seasons, (many have seen little action so far) I'll list their names along with a link to the article they originally appeared in. They are; From this article: RB Stafon Johnson, Titans. WR Carlton Mitchell, Browns. FB Rashawn Jackson, Panthers. SS Barry Church, Cowboys. RB Jahvid Best, Lions. CB Dominique Franks, Falcons. WR Kyle Williams, 49ers. You'll have to excuse some of the spelling and the grammar in the article. The only thing I can think of is that I was drunk (?) or tired, or maybe a combination of the two. I'd also like to point out the humorous bit where I describe LaGarrette Blount as being "just woeful". Thinking back now I remember being unusually disappointed with Blount's showing compared to most of the other running backs. What Blount did not display at the combine but does display on game day is the strength to bust through arm tackles and bowl defenders over. This should serve as a warning I guess to take the combine for what it is; one piece of a larger puzzle. Next up is Devin McCourty, the corner back who went in the first round to the Patriots. Here is the article. Again, not sure why McCourty didn't make the watch list in the end, given the relatively effusive praise I handed out for him. Next, Jacoby Ford. Here's the piece. This one could be somewhat more debatable, given that all I said was I'd take him higher than Golden Tate, but the praise I think should have earned him a spot on the watch list. The article is also interesting, because thinking back now it was the rant at the beginning about the bench press that first drew my attention to Jeff Owens, which subsequently got him on the list. Two players in the next one; safety Myron Rolle who is now with the Titans and defensive end Derrick Morgan, who is also with the Titans. Article here. Rolle is now on the practice squad while Morgan, a first round pick, has 4 games under his belt (0 starts) with 1.5 sacks. Ok, moving on to Chris Chancellor who is now a corner with the Jaguars. Given that he appeared in the same article as Kam Chancellor and Kendrick Lewis, I have no idea why he didn't make the watch list. Completely inexplicable. Here's his article. So that's the people who genuinely should have made the watch list. Next we need to look at those who - after looking at their performances this year - should have made it on. Essentially this is the list of misses; people I completely failed to pick up on. The majority of these will be players who have obviously highlighted themselves through their numbers in their rookie year. But just briefly I want to highlight two players I think should have made the watch list who so far haven't played much. These are Brian Jackson, corner, of the New York Giants and Jonathan Crompton, QB, of the Patriots. In my meandering and perusing of college football clips and highlights I stumbled across additional material of these two, and having watched it a few times now feel that these two were missed. They haven't got the numbers yet to make good judgments about them, but I'm optimistic. They too will undergo consideration for a retroactive addition to the watch list. The following players won't however. Simply put, I missed them. For whatever reason I failed to see the potential even though it was right there in front of me and now that's tough luck on me. They've shown everyone their skills. To add them now would be to invoke an age old analogy between a horse bolting and a barn door. So why bother looking at them? The same reason anybody else would go back and harp on their own mistakes; to learn. By looking at these players and then trying to deduce the reasons they were missed, it should help me to avoid making the same mistakes again and allow me to go back and refresh my approach a little to studying players. I think such an approach is important as it's the only way we grow better and stronger at something. By identifying weaknesses we can all (hopefully) fix those problems and improve. In addition, it's a basic axiom of coaching and one I feel strongly about. Locating problems in technique and then finding ways to correct these errors is at the heart of teaching and future development. So let's find out where I went wrong. Top of the list is the number one overall pick, QB Sam Bradford, who was taken by the Rams. If I think back, my concern with Bradford was mainly that he had an easy ride through college. I remember thinking that on every clip I saw of Bradford, he was standing in a nice clean pocket, with plenty of time to throw and was throwing to receivers who were open. Obviously an important part of my brain went to sleep at this point. All I could see was the open receiver. At no point did the more logical aspect of my cerebrum say to me "maybe that's his skill? Maybe his skill is finding the open receiver?". Which would have course been the correct answer. In addition, it would have been helpful if I had also taken note of the ball placement. This is something that you see very clearly when you go back and watch Kurt Warner with the "Greatest Show on Turf" Rams. You seem almost immaculate ball placement, putting it only where the receiver can make the play. If I'd paid a little more attention to Mr. Bradford, I would have seen this quality in him too and put him on the watch list. Next we have Ndamukong Suh, he of eight sacks and 49 tackles so far in his rookie year. Not only did I not put Suh on the watch list, but I also made the mistake of putting Suh behind Gerald McCoy in terms of who I would have picked given the number 2 spot. Looking back now, the error is easy to spot. My primary concern with Suh was that his strength played too much of a part in his game and that against bigger, stronger NFL offensive linemen this advantage would be negated. This turned out to be quite patently wrong. I was also judging McCoy as better because of his greater speed and use of the hands to defeat pass blocks. A simple refresher exercise in fundamental defensive tackle play would have solved this problem. It would have become quickly apparent that McCoy's skill set is more suited to a defensive end (albeit, a heavy one). The Buccaneers have even toyed with occasionally moving McCoy to that position, with some effect. But for a defensive tackle, Suh's qualities displayed on tape are precisely what you would be seeking. It seems pretty obvious now and I'm a little ashamed and a touch embarrassed that I didn't pick up on it sooner. Suh showed on game day the ability to stand up offensive linemen, hold the point of attack, and then shed blocks to make tackles/sacks. For a defensive tackle in a 4-3 scheme that is pretty much textbook technique. In short, I should have spotted what Suh was showing us. Right there, in front of my very eyes, was all the information I needed to put the stamp on Suh and say "this kid is going to rock the NFL and he's only going to get better with time being coached by Jim Schwartz". Never mind hindsight, that should have been foresight. On to... Rolando McClain, LB, Oakland Raiders. You don't here a lot about McClain really. He's one of those people who quietly does his work in the heart of the Raiders defense without making those huge plays that tend to get noticed. But McClain does do vital work, as you'd expect from a middle linebacker. So how did I miss McClain? Likely for the same reason as he hasn't drawn much attention in the NFL. McClain doesn't have a big back catalogue of footage that shows him making big plays. What you see is a lot of standard tackles and generally solid linebacking play. That's the catch. He doesn't stand out, but then players like him don't. Like the special teams captain or the Center on the offensive line, players like McClain make a big contribution that tends to get lost in the crowd. My mistake. Next is Earl Thomas, safety, Seattle Seahawks. Mike Mayock on NFL Network had this guy rated as his number one safety in the draft. I still think Eric Berry is better and that the Chiefs got the right man, but Thomas has been a very good contributor for the Seahawks, including five interceptions. What put me off Thomas was that I didn't see enough contact from his college days. Not enough hitting. And that's where my own preferences and personal views obstructed the indicators that Thomas would be a good safety. I like "Ringers" (guys that will ring your bell!). I like defenders who love contact, which is why I'm high on Broncos CB Syd'Quan Thompson (can't wait for this guy to become a regular first team player). The point is though that not all players are hitters and not all players really need to be big hitters. That's where Thomas comes in. He's more of your center field type, play-the-pass safety. Thomas isn't going to come down hill and light up a running back or track a crossing receiver and try to detach his head from his shoulder pads, but he will make plays on the ball deep down the field. But because I prefer the "Ringer" type safeties (Polamalu) that's what caused me to overlook Thomas and under value his potential. Right. Roger Saffold, OT, St. Louis Rams. Easy one here. My concern with Saffold was his run blocking technique. To be honest, that's really not such a huge concern for a left tackle. Typically you're going to be holding up the back end of running plays and even when the Rams do run his way, Saffold has shown he can handle the load. While his technique isn't exactly textbook he's getting the job done and I think that's where I missed; Saffold may not be on the level of guys like Bryan Bulaga technique wise, but that doesn't stop him being effective. Coming in last place among the top 5 at you position still doesn't erase the fact that you're a top 5 offensive tackle. It does prove that occasionally I can be a right idiot (what do you mean only occasionally?) Next! Nate Allen, safety, Philadelphia Eagles. Basically just go back and read the bit on Earl Thomas. Last but not least (until I remember someone else or someone e-mails me with another name) Tony Moeaki, tight end, Kansas City Chiefs. Now I'm going to come right out and say it; I had no clue who Moeaki was. There. That's why he didn't make the watch list, because he wasn't even on my radar. Shame though, he's been an excellent addition to the Chiefs, filling the hole left by Tony Gonzalez. Solid hands, strong and reasonably quick, Moeaki is one of those guys who helps reaffirm the adage "a tight end is a (rookie) quarterbacks best friend". So what have we learned? That my prejudices towards certain types of players can blind me to others who don't fit the mould but are very good players none the less. That comparing two players who play with two very different styles is not as effective as comparing them to either a) a baseline requirement for their position or b) simply identifying where the players skills would be best used, e.g. free safety or strong safety. That we should never lose sight of fundamentals. And that occasionally I can just be an idiot. Now if you'll kindly excuse me, I've been back and forth to this computer all day, meaning that this article has taken the best part of 12 hours to type. Sympathy accepted, as are any comments, e-mails (keepingthechainsmoving@live.co.uk) or exorbitant financial donations. Have a great day everyone.

Rookie Watch List in review

I did promise it and finally it's here, the rookie watch list in review! (please, calm yourselves). Time to look back at the many members of the rookie watch list which is located -- for those that haven't noticed -- to the right somewhere on the sidebar: First Rounders: - Trent Williams, OT, Washington Redskins; Offensive Tackles and guards are difficult to judge. Outside of their starts, there are very few individual stats kept for offensive linemen (they never get any love). Thus you have to take my word for it that from what I've seen so far, Williams is panning out ok, about as well as you'd expect for a rookie tackle. - Eric Berry, SS, Kansas City Chiefs; 11 games for Berry, starting all of them. 61 total tackles, 2 sacks, 4 passes defended, 2 interceptions and a forced fumble. Not bad at all. Critically, Berry is showing all of the attributes that will serve him well as an NFL safety over the course of his career. GM Scott Pioli will look back on this pick in future years with a smile. - Russell Okung, OT, Seattle Seahawks; Injuries have been a problem for Okung, leading him to play in only five games. What I've seen has been ok, but not exactly top ten material so far. Trouble is that the Seahawks line sucks in general. - Tyson Alualu, DT, Jacksonville Jaguars; I'm a little disappointed, but not so much in Tyson himself. All the footage I saw of him prior to making the watch list ultimately lead me to believe that Alualu would make an excellent DE in the Jaguars 4-3 scheme. So far he's been playing mostly tackle and not having such a great time of it. Still, 29 tackles and 3.5 sacks. - Ryan Matthews, RB, San Diego Chargers; Only 8 games for Matthews which is a disappointment. 87 carries, 382 yards, 4.4 yard avg. 2 TD's, and 3 fumbles is not what you'd expect of a first round pick. - Brandon Graham, DE, Philadelphia Eagles; To start the season, Graham beat out Juqua Parker for the spot opposite Trent Cole, which was always going to be a slightly optimistic move by Andy Reid given Parker's under appreciated talents. Thus far Graham has 11 games under his belt, with 5 starts, 12 total tackles and 3 sacks. It's not stellar, but the potential is obvious. - Mike Iupati, OG, San Francisco 49ers; Has started all 11 games so far this season and done ok. Against Arizona on Monday we got a great look at Iupati pulling and knocking people out of the way. Still has some things to learn and it doesn't help being on such a bad line, but give Iupati time. - Maurkice Pouncey, C, Pittsburgh Steelers; Another rookie with 11 starts and has basically just walked in as the starting center for Pittsburgh. He's shown solid fundamentals and an ability to take on many Nose Tackles one on one. Will get another great test when he comes face to face again with Haloti Ngata this week. - Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Atlanta Falcons; Only 6 games so far for Weatherspoon, but he has 32 combined tackles and a sack. Gradually building himself into the Falcons linebacking unit, but needs more starts before a proper assessment can be made. - Demaryius Thomas, WR, Denver Broncos; Has been plagued somewhat by nagging injuries, but still made 9 appearances including 2 starts. 22 receptions for 283 yards and 2 TD's, plus 3 fumbles is not great. Often seems to struggle to get open. Not looking good value for his draft position. - Bryan Bulaga, OT, Green Bay Packers; Eleven games with 7 starts for Bulaga, who has found a home at the right tackle slot for the Packers. Shows the same solid fundamentals that were on display at the combine and is basically looking like an absolute bargain considering his draft position. - Tim Tebow, QB, Denver Broncos; Hasn't seen a whole lot of game time behind Kyle Orton, but has at least got himself a passing TD and three rushing touchdowns from 12 attempts. At the minute he's filling a short yardage/goal line niche, but it's believed he may get the call next year when Orton hits free agency. - Dan Williams, DT, Arizona Cardinals; 10 games, 0 starts, 23 combined tackles and no sacks on probably the worst defense in the NFL right now. Maybe Williams should start and help try to turn things round? - Kyle Wilson, CB, New York Jets; 11 games, 5 starts, 20 combined tackles, and 4 pass defended. Other than that, not a lot from Wilson who has struggled in space. Plays much better when he's tucked inside on nickel packages and has a more limited threat envelope to deal with. Second Rounders: - Brian Price, DT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 5 games, 0 starts and a whopping 3 tackles so far. With Gerald McCoy as the hotshot tackle it's been difficult to find the time and place to get Price in. Needs a fair crack at the whip before I pass judgment. - Dexter McCluster, RB/WR, Kansas City Chiefs; 6 games, 3 starts, 15 catches, for 147 yards and a TD. Again, has seen limited playing time so it's difficult to judge but his speed and elusiveness have found a home in the slot and on special teams. - Koa Misi, LB, Miami Dolphins; 11 games, 8 starts, 24 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Has been a useful foil at times opposite Cameron Wake. Still a ways to go, but with Karlos Dansby around to help mentor him, the future looks bright for Misi. - Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots; 11 games, 8 starts, 25 catches for 310 yards and 6 TD's. Basically not a bad season from a second round pick. Has slotted in beautifully to the Pats offense and Bill Belichick has made a strong effort to get him and Aaron Hernandez (more on him later) involved in the offense. - Sergio Kindle, DE/LB, Baltimore Ravens; Horrific accident prior to the start of the season means we've seen nothing of Kindle so far. Expected to come back and play next year and will hopefully continue the aggressive and athletic performances he displayed in college. Wishing you well Sergio. - Daryl Washington, LB, Arizona Cardinals; 11 games, 7 starts, 52 tackles and a sack. Hasn't panned out quite as well as I thought. Doesn't help being on such a shockingly bad defense. - Taylor Mays, SS, San Francisco 49ers; 11 games, 6 starts, 33 tackles and 2 passes defended. Really hasn't lived up to expectations. Often struggles in coverage and not as active in the run game as you'd expect from a "big hitter". - Javier Arenas, CB, Kansas City Chiefs; 11 games, 2 starts, 33 tackles, a sack, 6 passes, defended, a forced fumble and some special teams return duties. Overall Arenas has been pretty impressive, but obviously needs more game time before we see the true potential fulfilled. I think Arenas is slipping under a lot of radars. - Toby Gerhart, RB, Minnesota Vikings; 10 games, 0 starts, 46 carries for 162 yards, 1 TD. 15 receptions, 144 yards. 2 Fumbles. It's a tough life playing under study to Adrian Peterson, but someone has to do it. Got his first big break last Sunday when Peterson went down injured and played reasonably well. Might start to bloom in the next few weeks if Peterson misses more time. - Montarios Hardesty, RB, Cleveland Browns; Was looking pretty good until he ended up on injured reserve. With Peyton Hillis carrying the load and bringing his "A" game this season, Hardesty will have to fill a back up role next year. Could be an awesome tandem to rival Thomas Jones/Jamaal Charles in Kansas. Third Rounders: - Jerome Murphy, CB, St. Louis Rams; 10 games, 0 starts, 27 tackles, 3 passes defended, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I haven't seen enough of Murphy to fully pass judgement, but so far I think he's been a good pick. Third round, reasonably productive given that he hasn't started. - Jon Asamoah, OG, Kansas City Chiefs; 11 games, 1 start, funny as hell to watch. Very aggressive, very determined. Has played his part in Kansas's quality run game. Another Pioli gem me thinks. - Chad Jones, FS, New York Giants; Hasn't played a snap due to injury. - Donald Butler, LB, San Diego Chargers; Same as above. - Jordan Shipley, WR, Cincinnati Bengals; 10 games, 2 starts, 40 catches for 518 yards, 2 TD's. Given the well publicised problems the Bengals have been having on offense, I'm surprised Shipley has been able to muster up what he has. Giving good service from the slot. - Colt McCoy, QB, Cleveland Browns; 5 games, 5 starts, put up 81/127 (63.8%) for 975 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INT's and 15 sacks. Also 20 rushes for 87 yards and a TD. Shame about his injury, but otherwise looking like a bit of a steal in the third round. - Rennie Curran, LB, Cincinnati Bengals; 4 games, 0 starts, 4 tackles. Haven't seen much of Curran, but I'm sure his name has appeared once or twice on special teams. Fourth Rounders: - Mardy Gilyard, WR, St. Louis Rams; 10 games, 2 starts, 6 catches for 63 yards and a fumble. Not the sneaky fourth round steal I thought he might be... so far. More game time will ultimately settle that question. - Everson Griffen, DE, Minnesota Vikings; 6 games, 0 starts, 8 tackles. Tough to shine when your underneath Jared Allen and Ray Edwards on the depth chart. Couple that with the Vikings suspect defense this year, in particular the pass rush, and that's not a recipe for success right there. - Aaron Hernandez, TE, New England Patriots; 11 games, 6 starts, 36 catches for 462 yards and 3 TD's. Like Gronkowski, he's fitted in nicely to the Patriots revamped offense this year. For a fourth rounder he represents really good value. Another sneaky TE find by Belichick. - Geno Atkins, DT, Cincinnati Bengals; 11 games, 0 starts, 8 tackles and a sack. Not quite living up to the great start he had in pre-season, but then doesn't hit the field all that much. C'mon, Geno! - Eric Norwood, LB, Carolina Panthers; 10 games, 0 starts, 9 tackles. Erm, not a lot else to say really. Playing for the Panthers is kind of a shot in the foot. - Roddrick Muckelroy, LB, Cincinnati Bengals; 9 games, 0 starts, 5 tackles and a FF. Mainly making his living on special teams, seems to have a knack of getting down the field on kick off coverage to make the tackle. Fifth Rounders: - Kam Chancellor, FS, Seattle Seahawks; 11 games, 0 starts, 13 tackles, a sack, 1 pass defended and a forced fumble. Chugging along slowly, but showing early signs of what might be a prosperous future. Just a shame he plays for the Seahawks. - Kendrick Lewis, FS, Kansas City Chiefs; 8 games, 7 starts, 24 tackles, 4 passes defended, 1 interception. What makes the Chiefs defensive showing this year more remarkable is the pairing of rookies Kendrick Lewis and Eric Berry. So far, so good, and they will surely only get better with time. - Perrish Cox, CB, Denver Broncos; 10 games, 7 starts, 37 tackles, 10 passes defended, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble. Has fought and clawed his way into the starting line up, where he continues to make a solid contribution. If the Bronco's could just find a pass rush, Cox might have even better numbers. Sixth Rounders: - Anthony Dixon, RB, San Francisco 49ers; 11 games, 0 starts, 24 carries for 72 yards and 2 TD's. "The Golden Mule" might get more work now that Frank Gore is on injured reserve and Brian Westbrooks elderly ass can't be expected to carry the full load. If the 49ers stick to the power football blueprint laid down on Monday Night against the Cardinals then Dixon could be a big beneficiary. - Dezmon Briscoe, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 0 games played. Has been quietly waiting for his chance on the Buccaneers practice squad and has only just been activated to the roster this week. Expect good things from what I think might be one of the best sixth rounders this year (in terms of future projections of course). Now don't let me down Dezmon! - Charles Scott, FB, New York Giants; Currently on the practice squad, hasn't made a ripple yet. I put Scott on the list because of his physical running style. If you want to see what I mean, watch Peyton Hillis of the Browns. Seventh Rounders: - Dekoda Watson, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 11 games, 1 start, 19 tackles and a pass defended. Has seen some special teams use as well I think. With time, Watson will hopefully develop well along with a group of other young players under a sound coach in Raheem Morris. - Syd'Quan Thompson, CB, Denver Broncos; 8 games, 0 starts, 9 tackles, 2 passes defended, 1 interception. Plays his fair share of special teams on return duty. Developing as another strong corner prospect with the Broncos. Hopefully he'll drain Champ Bailey's brain of all the useful information he can. - Sean Canfield, QB, New Orleans Saints; Might be quite some time before we see Canfield hit the field proper. - Jeff Owens, DT, Philadelphia Eagles; 0 games, sitting on the Eagles practice squad. Undrafted: - Micah Johnson, LB, Free agent; Played 1 game for the Dolphins, did nothing, and is now a free agent. - Danario Alexander, WR, St. Louis Rams; Started the year injured, recovered, then got injured again. Now back again. 3 games, 0 starts, 9 catches for 173 yards and a TD. I'm optimistic about Alexander's future. He only went undrafted due to concerns over his knee injury. If he can stay fit then he is a great deep threat for Sam Bradford to throw to. So, finally it's done. I'm looking back at that list now and thinking that I remember this lot having done more than I'm seeing on paper. I guess time will tell us more, as always. Tomorrow I will probably come up with my pick for Thursday Night's game (Texans @ Eagles) and maybe if I have the time I will peer into the world of hindsight and see who should have made the list. Till then though, Have a great day everyone.