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Previewing South Carolina at N. C. State: Q & A with Backing the 'Pack's akulawolf

Gamecock Man — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:14:28 -0000

I got together with the SB Nation N. C. State blog Backing the 'Pack's akulawolf to talk about tomorrow night's game.Here's what he had to say in response to my questions. My answers to his questions are here.

1. Deservedly, Russell Wilson is getting a lot of positive press coming into the season. However, you lose running back Andre Brown to the NFL and reports out of spring practice were that the running game and offensive line were shaky. How worried are you about these elements of N.C. State's offense? Will Wilson be able to carry the 'Pack is he's not getting any help from the running game and is constantly under pressure?

Four experienced offensive linemen return and this was a unit that, much like the offense as a whole, improved quite a bit down the stretch last season. Over the last seven games of 2008, the Wolfpack averaged about 160 rushing yards per game and more than 4 yards per carry. The offensive line should be competent at least to point where Russell Wilson isn't forced to do it all himself.

Toney Baker and Jamelle Eugene should prove plenty capable of carrying the load at running back. We already know Eugene can be the primary ball carrier, and the fact that Baker has worked his way back to the top of the depth chart despite missing the last two years is encouraging.

2. Even with star linebacker Nate Irving out, State's front seven looks pretty solid. Will your defense be able to win the battle in the trenches against a USC offensive line that struggled last year?

South Carolina had one of its most successful days on the ground last season against NC State, so...maybe? I do like the defensive line quite a bit, but as with the rest of the defense, it's wait-and-see.

3. Name one player that USC fans may not know much about who will have a major impact on this game.

Keep an eye on TJ Graham. His speed makes him a dangerous kick returner and if he's improved his route running, he might be good for a big pass play or two.

4. My impression is that N. C. State comes into Tom O'Brien's third year with discernibly increased expectations. What do you expect out of this team? Do you think O'Brien is on schedule as far as bringing the program up to the kind of level you expected out of him when State hired him?

Seven or eight wins sounds about right to me at this point (3-1 out-of-conference and 4-5 wins in league play). If the offense builds on what it did during the latter half of last season, it's going to be one of the top offenses in the ACC and probably the most dangerous offense we've had since Philip Rivers played here.

If the defense gets its act together--and it could; this is the best defensive line we've had in a while--this team will contend for the division. But that's the best-case scenario. A more likely scenario, I think, is that the defense makes a modest improvement but remains a liability. More worrisome than Nate Irving's absence is a secondary that's neither deep nor experienced. Tom O'Brien has said some good things about the talent we have in the secondary, and those kids have been making plays in the scrimmages. But I'm regarding those guys as a significant weakness until they prove otherwise.

As for the trajectory of the program, if anything, Tom O'Brien is ahead of schedule. There wasn't supposed to be serious talk about winning the division in year three. He's still got a lot of work to do in terms of building depth, especially in the aforementioned secondary and offensive line, but I'm confident that we're on the right track and that we'll eventually be a program that wins 8-9 games on regular basis.

5. What kind of game do you expect and what's your prediction on the outcome?

For some reason I get the feeling that Stephen Garcia is going to play well on Thursday, which would make for a surprisingly high-scoring game. No doubt that will come to the great relief of the rest of the country watching and praying that this one doesn't end up like last year's...uh, whatever that was. Between the '99 hurricane game and last season's unpleasantness, it's as if NC State and South Carolina get together once a decade just to set back whatever progress the sport made in the intervening years (yet still I wish these schools played more often). But no more! I'll say NC State 28, South Carolina 24.

6. Tell those of us that are heading up to the game what to look for and expect. What restaurants do you recommend? What's the tailgating scene like? What part of town should we head to after the game for a drink? Which bar should we hit when we get there?

The tailgating is great--I think it's one of the best places to tailgate that no one talks about. Carter-Finley Stadium is located off-campus on the North Carolina state fairgrounds where there's a lot of open space. No need to worry about having to tailgate in a parking deck because there are none. (There are restrictions, however. The parking lots don't open until five hours prior to kickoff.)

You'll want to head downtown for a post-game drink; there's nothing in the immediate vicinity of the stadium and it's a short trip to the action on Glenwood South and Fayetteville Street. Some of the places at which I spend too much money include the Hibernian, Raleigh Times, Landmark Tavern, and Busy Bee. We've got a Flying Saucer, too. A comprehensive list of downtown drinking options is available here. I recommend heading for Hibernian because it's a good jump off point in the Hot Spot/high-density bar area. There's all sorts of stuff--college bars, fine and casual dining, dance clubs, sports bars--within easy walking distance of that spot.

Many thanks to akulawolf for sharing his thoughts on the game.

Post-Spring Preview: NC State Wolfpack

Gamecock Man — Fri, 22 May 2009 03:51:23 -0000

Carolina once again opens their season against NC State, this time traveling to Raleigh to take on the 'Pack. Last time around, we beat State 34-0. However, the score was deceiving: we only led 3-0 at the half and 13-0 at the beginning of the final quarter, and Chris Smelley came in to relieve the regrettable Tommy Beecher and played a deceptively good quarter in which we scored the final 21 points. As we all know, this game was a harbinger of many things we would experience throughout the season, among them a defense that saved the crazy bad offense, inconsistent QB play, absolutely no running game (don't let all the yards Mike Davis racked up at the end of this game deceive you).

This year, I expect this game to be much different. First of all, State is no longer the team they were at that point. Led by QB Russell Wilson, the "Pack emerged at the end of last season after a horrid start and eventually earned a bowl berth. State will look to continue their solid play this year. South Carolina, on the other hand, still has questions, this time on both sides of the ball. However, a more experienced Stephen Garcia, a new offensive line coach in Eric Wolford, and another stellar recruiting class have us believing we can play better this year.

Let's take a look at how the two teams match up against each other on offense. The defensive and head coaching comparisons are soon to come.

Offense

Quarterback

State comes in with the aforementioned Wilson, who played very well down the stretch last year. Wilson's most impressive stat is his 17-1 TD-INT ratio, a surprising stat considering that his completion percentage was good but not great at 54.5%. Wilson is also an effective scrambler. If Wilson gets hurt or doesn't live up to expectations, former star recruit Mike Glennon is waiting in the wings.

We of course have Stephen Garcia, who looked good in spurts last year but played poorly over the last few games. Garcia probably has more upside than Wilson, but he needs to prove that he can live up to expectations. Hopefully his good spring was an indication that he's on the way there, but he still haven't proven he can play well consistently, which Wilson has done to some degree.

Verdict: Push--Wilson is more proven but Garcia could be much better when all is said and done

Running Back

State loses Andre Brown, who went to the New York Giants in the fourth round. However, they do return Jamelle Eugene, a capable back that has played well in tandem with Brown over the past two years.

South Carolina loses starter Mike Davis, but returns talented back ups in Brian Maddox and Eric Baker and has new comers with star potential in true freshman Jarvis Giles and redshirt freshman Kenny Miles. While none of these players has yet played a major role in the offense, they are all talented and having a number of them gives us a lot of depth. While I hesitate to call anything about our running game superior, I think this will be a break out unit in 2009.

Verdict: Slight Advantage South Carolina--State will be productive, but one or more of the SC backs will emerge for a breakout 2009

Wide Receiver

With Jarvis Williams and Owen Spencer returning, State has a solid receiving core coming back. These two players were Wilson's main targets last year.

South Carolina lost one of its best players in recent history when Kenny McKinley graduated. Losing McKinley will hurt us, but hopefully Jason Barnes, Moe Brown, and Dion LeCorn will be able to step in and fill his shoes. Each, however, has failed to consistently perform well over the past couple of years. I think it's key that one of these guys emerges as the go-to guy. He doesn't have to be McKinley or Sidney Rice, but he does need to provide us with a viable target.

Verdict: Slight Advantage NC State--the fact that State has proven targets and that I think we have a group of players with a lot to prove gives State the slight advantage

Offensive Line

South Carolina loses Jamon Meredith but retains depth otherwise. This line has performed poorly over the past few years, but new coach Eric Wolford had them performing well in spring practice. I expect significant improvement here in 2009.

State loses two important linemen in John Bedics and Meares Green. Losing these two could be hell for a unit that will have to keep Eric Norwood out of their backfield.

Verdict: Slight Advantage South Carolina--as with the running game, I hesitate to make this call, but I really think we're going to see improvement here

Meet the Chiefs Draft Interests (Trade Down Edition)

Joel Thorman — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:30:10 -0000

More photos » by Rogelio V. Solis - AP

7 months ago: FILE - In this Nov. 28, 2008 file photo, Mississippi State defensive end Tim Bailey (39) is shoved back by Mississippi offensive lineman Michael Oher (74) during the first half of an NCAA college football game. Oher is a top prospect in the 2009 NFL Draft. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Browse more photos »

Yesterday, we broke down by position all the draft prospects the Kansas City Chiefs have been reportedly interested in. No surprise that offensive line and linebacker led the way.

Then we looked at the players the Chiefs have worked out that could be the third overall pick.

Today, we're perusing our Chiefs Draft Interests page and highlighting all the players the scouting staff has looked at that are projected to go in the second or third round. If you're watching the Draft on Saturday, and at 3:20 PM you hear the Chiefs have traded down, there's a likelihood they'll know who to pick considering they've focused heavily on players in this draft range.

The list of players below is one of the biggest reasons so many folks across the league expect Scott Pioli and the Chiefs to move out of the third overall pick and collect more picks in the late first to early third round range.

OFFENSIVE LINE

OT Michael Oher (Ole Miss, Rd. 1) - Spoke with at Senior Bow/Attended Pro Day (March 31)/Scouted in person in 2008

*Oher settles in at the tail end of the top ten range to the high teens. If the Chiefs are looking at him as a tackle opposite of Albert (right or left), then they'll need to likely target the Buffalo Bills 11th overall pick.

OT Eben Britton (Arizona, Rd. 1-2) - Private workout (Reported March 25)

*Could be a right or left tackle (6'6", 310 pounds) and could be taken as high as the late teens in the first round.

DEFENSIVE LINE/LINEBACKER

OLB Brian Cushing (USC, Rd. 1) - Spoke with at Senior Bowl/Attended Pro Day (April 1)/Scouted in person in 2008

*Brian Cushing is projected to be a first round pick and would be of interest to the Chiefs if they were able to trade down. He, along with his USC counterparts, could be a tremendous help to the Chiefs and a great value if they were able to drop into to the bottom half of the first round.

DE Connor Barwin (Cincinnati, Rd. 1-2) - Visited with the Chiefs (April 2)

*The Patriots are reported to have a lot of interest in Barwin as well. He's had arguably the best post-season workout run as any player in this draft class. Capable of playing as an OLB (1 year at Cincinnati) or a TE (3 years at Cincinnati), Barwin has been drawn comparisons to Chiefs' Mike Vrabel. He won't make it past the Patriots or Browns, early in the second round.

LB James Laurinaitis (Ohio St., Rd. 1-2) - Visited with the Chiefs (April 2)

*Came in on the same day as Brian Orakpo and Connor Barwin. It's strange...if Lauriniaitis have come out last year, he was projected to be as high as a top ten pick. Now, he's fallen to the tail end of the first round, possibly as low as the second round. He seems to have the Pioli mentality when it comes to football.

LB Larry English (Northern Illinois, Rd. 1-2) - Private workout (Reported April 8)

*English has been shooting up draft boards, possibly into the first round. He's been reported to have drawn the interest of the Patriots in addition to the Chiefs. He's projected as an OLB in the Chiefs' 3-4 scheme.

LB Clint Sintim

*Another interesting prospect as he's projected to go as high as 25th to the Dolphins and as low as the middle of the second round.

DE Jarron Gilbert (San Jose St., Rd. 2-3) - Private workout (April)

*Another guy gaining a lot of steam, maybe even into the end of the first round. Click the link above to see a cool video of him jumping out of a pool (Okay, that sounds weird. Just watch it if you haven't already).

NT Sen'Derrick Marks (Auburn, Rd. 2-3) - Private workout (March 30)

*Nose tackles are hard to come by but one of Marks' biggest knocks is that he's not big enough to handle larger defensive linemen. Not a characteristic a defensive lineman wants. He's likely to be available when the Chiefs pick in the third round.

DT Fili Moala (USC, Rd. 2-3) - Spoke with at Combine

*The Chiefs could be looking for another defensive tackle - though I would imagine they would prefer it to be a more traditional nose tackle.

DE Paul Kruger (Utah, Rd. 3) - Private workout (1st week of April)

*From Utah and is projected as an OLB. He's quick and has the frame to get bigger. The Broncos and Chiefs both worked him out.

SECONDARY

CB Malcolm Jenkins (Ohio St. Rd. 1) - Scouted in person in 2008

*I wouldn't read much into this. The Chiefs scouted him way back when we weren't sure if rookie Brandon Carr could handle the corner job opposite of Flowers (he can).

CB Mike Mickens (Cincinnati, Rd. 2-3) - Scouted in person in 2008

*Director of college scouting says he has the "temperament" to be an NFL corner.

CB Keenan Lewis (Oregon St., Rd. 3) - Spoke with at the Senior Bowl

*From Oregon State and had an interview with the Chiefs at the Senior Bowl. Haven't heard any news on him since that.

QUARTERBACKS

QB Chase Patton (MU, Rd. 7) - Rumored interest

*We just learned tonight the Chiefs have requested a contact number for Patton on Draft day so that's a good sign that he's on the Chiefs radar.

QB Josh Freeman (K-State, Rd. 1-2) - Attended local Pro Day

*Didn't even work out at the Chiefs complex. Nothing to see here. Move along...

QB Pat White (WVU, Rd. 2-3) - Spoke with at Senior Bowl

*Since the Senior Bowl meeting, we haven't been able to get a confirmation of Pat White working out with the Chiefs. He's been linked to the Patriots and Vikings, among other teams.

RUNNING BACKS/WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS

TE Brandon Pettigrew (Oklahoma St., Rd. 1) - Scouted in person in 2008

*The Chiefs could have been doing their due diligence last season when they scouted Pettigrew. Remember, last October, in the height of college football season, Gonzalez was publicly asking to be traded.

TE Chase Coffman (MU, Rd. 2-3) - Attended local Pro Day

*Coffman is an intriguing pick due in large part to the fact that he's local. Though Pioli has picked three tight ends in the first round while in New England, I expect him to hang onto Gonzalez in 2009 with Brad Cottam as his eventual heir.

WR Mike Thomas (Arizona, Rd. 2-3) - Private workout (March 24)

*Both the Chiefs (Pioli) and Broncos (McDaniels) set up a private workout with Thomas so maybe there's a bit of the 'Patriot Way' in him. His skill set is in a Wes Welker type mold, meaning he's a small and quick possession/slot receiver.

RB Andre Brown (NC State, Rd. 2-3) - Private workout (Reported April 16th)

*And here's my "Chiefs work out a RB...replacement for LJ?" post...

It can't be used as a legitimate clue into the Chiefs' front office because our Chiefs' draft interests page is ultimately incomplete, but only two offensive linemen that have been reportedly worked out by the Chiefs are expected to be in trade down territory.

Of these 20 prospects, nine of them were defensive linemen and linebackers. A sign that the Chiefs will be going defense in the even to of a trade down?

Taking the table from Chris' post yesterday where he broke down all the Chiefs draft interests by position, we can see the Chiefs are focusing their reported scouting efforts of defensive linemen and linebackers projected to be selected later in the first round to the third round.

Offense	Defense
OT (10)	LB (11)
WR (4)	DE (6)
QB (3)	DL (5)
OG (3)	CB (4)
RB (2)
PK (2)
FB (1)

Out of the sixteen reported DL/LBs on this list, nine of them would require the Chiefs trading down. That's quite the due diligence.

Arizona Cardinals Potential Draft Picks: Running Backs

Andrew602 — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:33:11 -0000

To continue the trend in a more efficient way, here is crop of potential draft pick running backs that we haven't covered yet and some that we may see this weekend. If the Cardinals do pass on a 1st round back, these guys could be wearing Cardinal red after this weekend. For the source of these breakdowns and to get more in-depth reviews on draft prospects, chech out cbssports.

Shonn Greene, Iowa

5'11 & 227 lbs

Similar NFL Player: Ladell Betts

Greene has good initial quickness, but lacks explosiveness or a second gear to negotiate long-distance runs. He does make quick decisions with
the ball in his hands to hit the holes in a hurry. The thing that you notice immediately about Greene is his change-of-direction agility and body control. When the rush lane is clogged, he has the feel to redirect and bounce outside, but does not have the speed to take the ball to the house down the sidelines. Greene is a physical inside runner whose playing strength is better than his weight-room figures. Greene is not a "make you miss" type, but when he gets a short burst off the snap, he shows quick cutting agility. Greene is not going to go down easy, even from gang tackles. He lacks weight-room strength, but has the lower-body power to push the pile when he keeps his pads down.

Andre Brown - North Carolina State

6'0 & 224 lbs

Similar NFL Player: Fred Taylor

Brown has a stout body, with good vision and the ability to break tackles thanks to his leg drive and speed. He is more of a straight-line, north-south runner, as he lacks the loose hips to bounce wide or redirect in an instant. If you are looking for a very explosive north-south runner, Brown is the perfect fit. He moves on the ball's snap with no hesitation and it is rare to see him false step. He's limited as a cut-back runner, but gets into trouble when he tries to bounce and feel for the cut back. He has the explosion to beat defenders taking the ball between tackles, thanks to his short burst, but struggles when having to cut back or bounce to the outside. Brown is just starting to develop as a receiver, showing good hands to secure the ball outside his frame.

Rashad Jennings - Liberty

6'1 & 231 lbs

Similar NFL Player: Jamal Lewis

Rashard Jennings is an explosive running back who can run, catch and block. Jennings has good initial quickness, but is inconsistent changing direction due to hip stiffness and failure to keep his running stride down to squeeze through tight spaces. Jennings has a deceptive burst that allows him to surprise a lethargic defender with his straight-line charge, but he is more of a power back, one-cut runner than an elusive one. He has the thick legs to drive through the initial tackle and a strong stiff arm to fend off the smaller defenders. It is very rare to see him get turned back taking the ball up the middle, but he is really just a power-oriented one-cut runner that lacks nifty moves, but plays with good body lean. He catches the ball cleanly and does a good job extending for the off-target throws.

Gartrell Johnson - Colorado State

5'10 & 219 lbs

Similar NFL Player: Greg Jones

Powerful build. Runs with a low pad level, giving defenders little room to hit him. Has a low-center of gravity and a good first step to accelerate. Hits the hole with authority. Some lateral quickness to elude in tight quarters and can make defenders miss in the open field. Good vision for the cutback. Finishes his runs by falling forward. Secure ball-handler with only one fumble in 310 touches in 2008. Lacks the speed to beat linebackers to the edge or the top-end speed to pull away when gets to the second level. Lacks the agility to make defenders miss if met in the hole. Relies on his initial pop and aggression, rather than true power, in taking on defenders.

Cedric Peerman - Virginia

5'10 & 216 lbs

Similar NFL Player: Josh Scobee

Peerman has outstanding timed speed, but it does not always translate to the field, as he has a bit of a hitch coming out of his stance, preventing him from generating good explosion into the holes. He is a small, but well-built athlete who is a shifty runner with good hands as a receiver. He has good quickness and balance, but lacks the suddenness or change of direction skills to bounce the ball wide for big runs (only four runs for more than 20 yards as a senior). However, his frame is also built for power, and he does fairly well moving the ball inside. He is not a player that will run over the larger defenders, but he is tough and feisty taking the ball up the gut to get good yardage after initial contact. He is blessed with that rare speed runners can only hope for, but fails to generate the second gear to escape when bouncing wide.

Kory Sheets - Purdue

5'11 & 208 lbs

Similar NFL Player: Julius Jones

Sheets is a lanky, slinky runner who is quick to the hole, patient and agile through traffic; he also has an extra gear to outrun a lot of defenders. He is not an effective blocker and lacks leg strength to pound into the line for tough yards. Sheets is not what you would consider a power runner, but he uses his leg drive effectively, flashing lateral quickness and consistency seeing the cutback. When he stays low in his pads, he will get the tough yardage with his balance. However, when the rush lane is clogged, he gets too erect in his stance and seems to expose the ball too much when trying to redirect off-tackle, especially when going to the right hash and this resulted in a high amount of costly fumbles...Sheets is the type that can stick his foot in the ground and explode through the hole, but is not capable of pushing the pile. Sheets is a capable receiver out of the backfield, but won't run any deep patterns or do anything fancy with the ball in his hands.

Glen Coffee - Alabama

6'0 & 209 lbs

Similar NFL Player: Kevin Smith

Coffee is more quick than he is fast, but shows good explosion and burst coming out of his stance. He attacks the holes with good pad level and forward body lean. He is better as an inside runner, as he does not show that ease-of-movement agility to change direction and locate the cutback
lanes without having to throttle down. He runs with adequate strength and will need to improve his lower-body power in order to break tackles consistently at the next level. He is not really a shifty runner with the ability to juke defenders, but can accelerate past second-level defenders. Coffee's lack of lower-body strength is evident, but he does a nice job of squaring his shoulders and lowering his pads. He has an above-average stiff arm that he uses quite a bit to break tackles. He has developing hands and the ability to turn and catch off-target throws, but his route running, or lack of, has prevented him from being a part of the intermediate-to-deep passing game. Coffee is not effective as a lead blocker and must be alert to the blitz and stunts when asked to provide pass protection.

Mike Goodson - Texas A&M

6'0 & 208 lbs

Similar NFL Player: Jerious Norwood

He is quick and explosive with his long speed, but has just marginal
strength, making him a liability as an inside runner. He has good change of direction agility and shows very good quickness out of his stance, along with the sudden burst to elude defenders turning the corner. Goodson has that sudden burst to escape the crowd and does a very good job of accelerating away from the second-level opponents... Goodson runs with good balance, but lacks the leg drive and upper body strength to push the pile. He will go down vs. initial contact and is prone to coughing up the ball when tackled hard...Goodson left school early and the coaching staff seemed relieved by his decision. He has had problems with both of his head coaches and is perceived as a player that is not willing to conform, raising some red flags that will affect his overall draft stock.

Poll

If the Cardinals pass on a 1st-round back, who would you prefer they draft later?

Shonn Greene

68 votes

Andre Brown

52 votes

Rashad Jennings

32 votes

Gartrell Johnson

15 votes

Cedric Peerman

3 votes

Kory Sheets

9 votes

Glen Coffee

21 votes

Mike Goodson

15 votes

Other (Specify)

16 votes

231 votes | Poll has closed

NFL Draft Day Two: Diamonds In The Rough

Jake — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:28:11 -0000

The Draft has been the spark for the rebuilding process of the Houston Texans. Since Gary Kubiak took the reigns in 2006, the Texans have shown adeptness at finding talent to fit their needs that few other teams have matched in that time period. Some credit the fact that Kubiak was heavily involved in scouting while an assistant coach in Denver, while others feel that it is because Rick Smith values the opinions of the assistants that have a multitude of experience at their specialties, like Alex Gibbs and Frank Bush. Whatever the cause, it is encouraging to see results in the draft after several years of disappointments prior to the current regime.

It isn’t just the Texans’ ability to identify talent in the first two rounds that has led to success though; it’s also their keen eye for talent in rounds three through seven. Every year since 2006, there have been key players that had their names called on Day Two of the proceedings, such as Owen Daniels, Eric Winston, Fred Bennett, Xavier Adibi, and Zac Diles, all of whom have been productive starters for Houston at one point or another.

The Texans have held their cards pretty close to their vest this year, so we have little to no word on what players they are interested in, even in the first two rounds. All we know is the Texans’ overall needs. Based off these needs, I’ve tried to peruse the second day draft talent to find players that I think would look great in Steel Blue. I included the round in which I feel they may be available, but that round is also the earliest I would want the Texans to select them.

Offense

Andre Brown/RB/NC State – 3rd Round – Brown would likely be a first round pick if it wasn’t for the multiple injuries he suffered in college. Brown wowed coaches and scouts at the Senior Bowl, and then absolutely astonished them at the Combine with his 4.37 40 despite weighing 224 pounds. His rare blend of size and speed would be a perfect match for Slaton’s speed and quickness. Unfortunately, wishing for Brown in the 3rd might be a pipe dream, yet I wouldn’t want to take him before then.

Rashad Jennings/RB/Liberty – 3rd Round – Jennings is a beast. He doesn’t possess Brown’s top-end speed, but he has more power. Jennings also has considerable character. Often times transfers such as the one he conducted (Pitt to Liberty) are done for selfish reasons, but Jennings did it because his father was sick. He’s definitely not blazing, but we don’t need a track star; we only need a goal line back.

Antoine Caldwell/C/Alabama – 4th Round – Caldwell fared well against SEC DTs throughout his career. If he is able to put his hands on opposing lineman he fares well, but speed can sometimes beat him, keeping him from being dominant. Caldwell is also known as a smart player, which will help him adapt to Alex Gibbs’ zone blocking scheme.

Patrick Turner/WR/USC – 4th Round – The Texans had the 3rd best yardage offense in the league, but only the 17th ranked scoring offense. The offensive players that Houston needs are ones that will help in the red zone, and Turner can do just that. How high is someone that is 6’5” that can jump 34.5”? High enough. Also, Turner isn’t just a big oaf. He could be a decent possession receiver in the NFL, especially under the tutelage of our offensive staff.

Lydon Murtha/OT-G/Nebraska – 5th Round – Murtha was by far the most athletic OT at the Combine, as evidenced by his 4.82 40 and his 35” vertical jump. Murtha is on the lighter side at 306 pounds, but at 6’7” he can stand to add some weight, even at the risk of losing some speed, and still be impressive.

Quan Cosby/WR/Texas – 5th Round – This may garner me an accusation of being a homer, but I assure you that I try my best to disassociate myself with Texas players as soon as they are done playing in Austin. I think that Cosby is going to be a great NFL player cut from the same cloth as Wes Welker. Nothing on paper about Cosby is that astonishing; he ran a 4.5 40, and he is already 26 because of a stint playing professional baseball. If you watch Cosby play though, there is no doubt that he can play football.

Gartrell Johnson/RB-FB/Colorado State – 6th Round – Johnson attends the same school that Gary Kubiak’s sons attend, which happens to employ a zone blocking scheme. Even though Johnson is only 220 pounds, at 5’10” he’s built more like a FB than a RB, which is probably a good thing. Kubiak has stated before that he prefers having two FBs on the roster, and right now we only have the Human Coke Machine. Johnson will likely last until the 6th though, because he probably won’t be good for more than 10 carries a game in the NFL.

Louis Vasquez/G/Texas Tech – 6th Round – If you have a soft spot for big, bruising offensive lineman, look no further than Vasquez. Vasquez is 6’5” and weighs 333 pounds. As you can imagine, he’s not the quickest man in the world, but his 39 reps in the bench press were best in that category at the Combine this year. You can always find a use for a bruiser of his ilk.

Defense

Kaluka Maiava/OLB/USC – 3rd Round – Who is the loser in the Clay Matthews Cinderella story? A big bruising SLB Maiava is not, but he is a football player. Despite irregular playing time in his senior year, Maiava recorded the third most tackles for the Trojans and was the MVP of the Rose Bowl. Maiava is better suited to play WLB, but would be a great addition for depth and could play in the rotation immediately.

Chip Vaughn/SS/Wake Forrest – 3rd Round – Vaughn is the last of a dying breed--a true SS. At 6’2” 221 pounds, Vaughn has the size to play in the box but is quick enough (4.42 40) to cover some as well. Vaughn loves contact, and is responsible for 192 of Wake Forrest’s tackles in the last two years. If Vaughn didn’t start immediately, he would receive significant playing time.

Sherrod Martin/CB-FS/Troy – 3rd Round – Martin is my dark horse at FS this year. Martin is incredibly athletic, so much so that coaches played him as a CB in the Senior Bowl, something that he rarely did the majority of his collegiate career. So what you have is a guy that played almost exclusively at FS, but has the athleticism to play CB (4.43 40). At 6’1” 200 pounds, he’s more suited to play FS anyway, which happens to be one of our needs.

Michael Hamlin/SS/Clemson – 3rd Round – Hamlin isn’t the fastest guy in the world (4.57 40) and he’s not the strongest either (17 reps), but he performs on the field. He’s been productive since his redshirt freshman year, and in the last two years he has 177 tackles and 10 INT. That’s about 8 tackles a game and an INT almost every two games. I don’t like him as much as Vaughn or Martin, but if both of them are gone and we haven’t drafted a safety yet, I definitely wouldn’t mind Hamlin.

Darcel McBath/FS/Texas Tech – 4th Round – McBath has shown adeptness in coverage with his 12 career INT, 7 of those coming last year, but is lacking in run support. That deficiency means that he will probably only be suited to play FS in the NFL, a league in which teams prefer safeties to be interchangeable. That fact coupled with mediocre measurables (6’0”, 198 pounds, 4.58 40) has him slated to go in the middle of the draft. McBath does have an impressive 38” vertical, and a name that makes him sound like he was a Duck Tales character.

Dorell Scott/DT/Clemson – 4th Round – Scott isn’t the prototypical space eater yet, but he could be. Scott measured 6’3” 312 pounds at the Combine, so his frame appears to have some room left for a little more weight. Several 3-4 teams are looking at Scott to anchor their defensive line at NT, which means he’s big enough to play alongside Amobi.

Greg Toler/CB/St. Pauls – 4th Round – Kubiak and Smith love to take flyers on small school guys every once in a while. Well, is St. Paul’s College small enough for you? Toler at 5’11” 191 pounds is being compared to Domanique Rodgers-Cromartie. Toler ran the 40 in 4.45, and could be a steal in the 4th round.

John Gill/DT/Northwestern – 5th Round – Gill is the same type of DT that Amobi Okoye is--a smaller penetrating DT. I don’t think we should replace Amobi, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get more depth behind him. Despite being 6’3”/301 pounds, Gill ran the 40 in 4.92 and the all important 10-time used to determine a D lineman’s burst off the ball was 1.7, which is pretty good for a guy his size.

Zack Follet/OLB/California – 5th Round – Follet was originially brought to my attention by DieHard Chris, who is rather fond of him, and after reading up on Follet and watching videos, I jumped on the bandwagon as well. Follet had an amazing 51 tackles for loss in his career at Cal, which shows that he can get into the backfield and wreak havoc. Follet is undersized to play SLB at 6’3” 236 pounds, but could be a candidate to give depth at WLB.

Brandon Underwood/FS/Cincinnati – 5th Round – Underwood is slated to go late in the draft because he only started one year, but what a year it was. While playing both FS and CB in 2008, Underwood tallied 66 tackles, 4 INT, 2 forced two fumbles and recovered 3, all of which earned him all-conference honors. Underwood has good measureables as well at 6’1” 200 pounds, and ran 4.50 40 with a 36.5” vertical. Underwood would probably be a 3rd round prospect or better if he had more experience.

Russell Allen/OLB/San Diego State – 6th Round – Allen would definitely be a project, but what else would you expect in the 6th round? Allen is 6’3”/230 pounds, which shows that he has the frame to be bigger, and he ran a 4.65 50, which included a 1.58 10-yard time, which was equal to Clay Matthews III. Allen started all 48 games since his time started at SD St., and was a Dick Butkus award nominee twice.

Lardarius Webb/CB/Nicholls State – 6th Round – Webb is another small school prospect, but the difference with him is that he started at a bigger university (Southern Miss.) and transferred to the smaller institution. Webb is smaller at 5’10”/180 pounds, and would be a huge project as a CB, but what I love about him is his return ability. Webb ran a 4.35 40, and returned 16 kicks for 472 total yards (29.5 average) before teams simply quit kicking to him. For that kind of ability, I wouldn’t mind expending a 6th round pick.

There are other players that I feel will make good or even great players in the NFL that can be had in rounds three through seven, but I didn’t include them because I either felt they didn’t fulfill a need for the Texans or they would have to be taken too early for my liking. If you feel that I have any glaring omissions, you disagree with any of my picks or simply have a dark horse of your own, feel free to let me know. Who knows--maybe a couple of these players will be the newest members of the Houston Texans come Sunday.

NFL Draft 2009: It's a Big Man's Game

briandean — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:08:50 -0000

When trying to really get down to it and get in the mind of Scot McCloughan, there's one underlying phrase that continues to come up, "It's a big man's game." It might have been one of the first things I ever heard him say as personnel man of the 49ers. He brings it up again every offseason. McCloughan has continuously practiced what he preaches through both free agency and the draft.

"The one thing about the NFL that is not going to change is, it's a big man's game. Over a 16-game schedule, the bigger team, the more physical team is going to pan out most of the time, especially in the cold-weather games."

-Scot McCloughan, 2006

"The “big back” would be someone who, if Frank were to get hurt, could come in and carry the load for two, four or six weeks. I don’t see a smaller back being that type of guy. We’re going to be a good team this year because we’re able to establish the run and come downhill between the tackles. With a smaller back, that is tough to do, especially for a longer period of time. We always look for good football players and that’s what we’ll continue to do, but you have to understand that this is a big man’s game. The big backs are going to survive in this league."

-Scot McCloughan, 2009

It's not that McCloughan has completely avoided assets like speed, as we've seen with players such as Vernon Davis, Manny Lawson, Patrick Willis, Josh Morgan, and Nate Clements. Size, however, did acompany speed in those cases. On the other hand, Kentwan Balmer, Chilo Rachal, Reggie Smith, Michael Lewis, Justin Smith and Tully Banta-Cain were never considered among the best athletes at their positions. What the later group did posses is, you guessed it, size. When Scot McCloughan must spend resources on a player, you can bet he'll err on the side of the big man.

Off the top of my head it's hard to come up many names drafted during the McCloughan era who did not matchup closely with the positional size prototype. Frank Gore was short, but certainly not undersized with his powerful frame. Brandon Williams, a 3rd round wide reciever out of Wisconsin in 2006, was listed as 5-11, 183. And there's my list. Yet I spent hours last April wondering how the 49ers could pass on DeSean Jackson, not once, but twice in favor of big uglies. I won't make that mistake again.

So, that should narrow down the shopping list a bit. You can throw away that mock with Jeremy Maclin or Percy Harvin penciled in. Who does that leave us with?

Big Man Mock Draft:
1. BJ Raji, DT (6-1, 337) ... Andre Smith, OT (6-4, 332) or Brian Orakpo, OLB (6-3, 263)
2. Sean Smith, CB (6-4, 214) ... Ron Brace, DT (6-3, 330) or Phil Loadholt, OT (6-8, 332)
3. Ramses Barden, WR (6-6, 229) ... Andre Brown, RB (6-0, 224) or Rashad Jennings, RB (6-1, 231)
4. Fenuki Tupou, OT (6-6, 314) ... Jasper Brinkley, MLB (6-2, 252) or Sebastian Vollmer, OT (6-8, 312)
5. Matt Shaughnessy, OLB (6-5, 266) ... Patrick Turner, WR (6-5, 223) or Jason Watkins, OT (6-6, 318)
6. Arian Foster, RB (6-1, 226) ... Alex Boone, OT (6-7, 328) or Javarris Williams, RB (5-10, 223)
7. Jamarko Simmons, WR (6-2, 231) ... Gartrell Johnson, RB (5-10, 219) or Marko Mitchell, WR (6-4, 218)

And that doesn't even include the future 1st rounder traded away to get Kansas State QB Josh Freeman (6-6, 248).

Poll

What do you think of Scot McCloughan's "big man" strategy?

Love it. We must physically dominate the opposition.

43 votes

Enough already. We need explosive playmakers, regardless of size.

66 votes

109 votes | Poll has closed

NFL Draft 2009: Smokescreens and Misinformation

briandean — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:46:00 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

Boston College defensive lineman B.J. Raji runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis. Raji, who is considered the top defensive tackle eligible for this month's NFL draft, reportedly failed a drug test at the combine. The report, which did not identify the drug, was published on SI.com and attributed to unidentified NFL team sources.

Browse more photos »

This is the time of year when you can't really believe anything you read. NFL GMs have set their draft boards and it stands to reason they would want to assure themselves a potential investment is of sound mind before sinking millions of dollars into him. So, you have to believe there is some level of interest in these players by the 49ers. There are a number of other reasons a team may bring certain prospects in for a private look, which I will get into in moment.

After scouring every source I could find (here, here, and here are a few) there are about 20 names reportedly meeting one-on-one with the 49ers...so far.

QB: Mark Sanchez, Josh Freeman, Mike Reilly

RB: Chris "Beanie" Wells, Knowshon Moreno, Andre Brown, Donald Brown

WR: Michael Crabtree

OL: Michael Oher, Andre Smith

DL: BJ Raji, Jarron Gilbert, Tyson Jackson, Ziggy Hood, Pierre Walters

LB: Rey Maualuga

DB: William Moore, Patrick Chung, Greg Toler

Looking at this list of prospects, three things jump out at me.

One...character concerns. Of the five players that have been projected at the #10 pick, four have questions about their mental make-up (Andre Smith, Michael Crabtree, Michael Oher and BJ Raji). Andre Smith's offseason has been well chronicled. People have questioned whether or Michael Oher can grasp intricate schemes. B.J. Raji failed a drug test and then there's this. And now we're hearing about off-field issues with Michael Crabtree. The fifth player, Mark Sanchez, would certainly warrant the same psychological examination as the 49ers gave Matthew Stafford. And, of course, you have to maintain that QB interest for potential suitors in trade.

Two...sleepers. Mike Reilly (like this guy and had Niners taking him in my first NN mock in January), Pierre Walters and Greg Toler might have a lot of people saying, "who's that?". This is the 49ers being thorough, getting a chance to see small school players who might get late round consideration and may not have been tracked closely during the college football season or have campus pro days.

Three...smokescreen! Where are the pass rushers and cornerbacks? Suspiciously absent from this list are names like Brian Orakpo and Everette Brown. Even names like Malcolm Jenkins, Aaron Maybin, Connor Barwin, Vontae Davis, Darius Butler and Larry English. It may not mean much. It may mean the 49ers really aren't thinking about a CB or OLB in the draft, but we all know that isn't the case. Or do we?

The 49ers are being sneaky...very sneaky.

Scouting report: Andre Brown

Mocking Dan — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:30:09 -0000

Andre Brown

6'0, 224 pounds | N.C. State | Running back

Strengths: Brown is a strong running back with NFL size. He runs with power and has good body lean. His strength allows him to break tackles, even against linebackers. A powerful inside runner. When Brown sees a crease, he has the quickness to hit it and burst through with power. Does a nice job keeping his legs pumping through traffic. One of the best pass-catching running backs in this year's class. Has natural hands and runs routes fairly well. Good enough as a blocker for a back, but he does need to improve some.

Weaknesses: A to recruit coming out of high school, Brown had an injury-riddled career with the Wolfpack. Brown missed three games in 2007 after fracturing his foot. In 2008, he broke a bone in the same foot during the spring and needed surgery. Some may consider him a medical risk. Because Brown doesn't have great speed, he often struggles getting around the tackle. In the open field, Brown has to do a better job tucking the ball. When running through the hole, Brown keeps his pads too high.

Final word: If Brown would have never run into injury problems, it's highly likely he would be considered the top running back in this year's class. He shows flashes of being a top runner thanks to his power, vision and receiving ability. However, teams will wonder how long his foot will hold up. Brown also doesn't have great playing speed, so some teams might not have a use for him.

Round projection:4

Tuesday links and notes; more reaction to Houshmandzadeh's departure; taking a quick look at FA centers

Kirkendall — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:17:04 -0000

+ When MRIs become a formality. Oh how we love this. Now that he signed his deal with the Seattle Seahawks, it's being reported that Houshmandzadeh is getting an MRI as a formality. Joe Reedy makes the point that since he's being paid well, that the MRI could be standard to make sure they are getting a healthy wide receiver. Every player typically receives a physical before they are signed just in case guys like Jim Bowden are dealing undisclosed injured players. But an MRI? We're not sure how many instances we've hard of this being a formality.

What's impressive is that overall reaction around the community of blogs is fairly sided with the Bengals, rather the receiver. Can't place blame | Did it the right way | Not really upset | Blessing in disguise.

James Walker points out that by making a run for Laveranues Coles, that the Bengals have little to no confidence in their younger receivers, which reestablishes the long standing argument. Who the hell are drafting these guys? An alternative point is that the Bengals are positioning themselves to letting Chad Johnson go, either their trade or outright release (the latter will bring Cincinnati into a riot).

C Trent agrees, saying, "now it's time for Andre Caldwell, Jerome Simpson, Chris Henry and Chad Ocho Cinco to step up." His point is that another 31-year old receiver isn't the biggest need.

Carson Palmer says after Houshmandzadeh's departure, "we'll be OK."

+ The Bengals have yet to address center in free agency, a position that's long been underachieving since Rich Braham's retirement after two games in 2006. Matt Birk is expected to visit the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday. Other centers available include:

Jeremy Newbery, Chargers
Melvin Fowler, Bills
Tom Nalen, Broncos
Chris Gray, Seahawks
Al Johnson, Dolphins
Nick Leckey, Rams
Chris Morris, Raiders
Rudy Niswanger, Chiefs
Scott Peters, Cardinals
Duke Preston, Bills

Moving on.

The Miami Dolphins signed former Raiders center, Jack Grove, to a five-year deal worth $30 million. Jason Brown signed a five-year deal worth $37.5 million with $20 million guaranteed. Center Eric Ghiaciuc is testing the market, writes Joe Reedy, however, he could be re-signed. Oh, joy.

Any interest for Vonnie Holliday?

While saying that Laveranues Coles would find a fit with Cincinnati more lucrative, Matt Bowen writes, "He would get to play with quarterback Carson Palmer and line up opposite Chad Ocho Cinco Johnson. Receivers always go where they’re going to get the ball and where they see the best option at the quarterback position."

NFP position rankings in the upcoming draft includes the following running backs.

Knowshon Moreno, Georgia (5-11, 208)
Chris Wells, Ohio State (6-1, 237)
Shonn Greene, Iowa (5-11, 235)
LeSean McCoy, Pittsburgh (5-11, 210)
Donald Brown, Connecticut (5-10, 210)
Rashad Jennings, Liberty (6-1, 232)
Jeremiah Johnson, Oregon (5-9, 208)
Andre Brown, N.C. State (6-0 224)
Glen Coffee, Alabama (6-0, 209)
Javon Ringer, Michigan State (5-9, 205)

Both Ray Lewis and Derrick Brooks are available in free agency. Who would have thought that the market for those two would be so quiet?

San Diego Chargers--Monitoring Team Needs--Free Agency to the 2009 Draft

Jeremy Bolander — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:00:09 -0000

Keeping track of a team's dynamic roster gain/loss throughout the offseason is one of the keys to understanding their draft day moves and choices. Enter Monitoring Team Needs, an at-a-glance way of checking up on your team's latest roster flux, as we count down through Free Agency, and into the days before the 2009 Draft.

Below is a table that breaks down this roster flux, showing who has come and gone, as well as updating the neediest areas of the team and some of the top names that have a good chance of being available when they pick in the Draft. Draft prospects are linked to their Mocking the Draft Profiles and any names or positions highlighted in bold should be considered either to be positions of particular need and emphasis, or players of particular relevance and interest to the team's situation. Below the chart we will discuss some of the names and situations described, and as always, you can join in on the discussion in the comments.

See you below the fold!


SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 2008 Record and Rank: 8-8 1st place	Team Needs	Likely DraftTargets (rd)
	RT, RB, SS, ILB, WR, DT,DE	RB, Knowshon Moreno, Georgia(1st) OT, Andre Smith, Alabama (1st)
Free Agents Acquired	Current Free Agents	Free Agents/Players Lost
RB Eldra Buckley(res/fut) WR Gary Banks(res/fut) OL Brandyn Dombrowski(res/fut) DL Andre Coleman(res/fut) CB DeJuan Tribble(res/fut) DL Ogemdi Nwagbuo(res/fut) CB Grant Mason(res/fut) LB Erik Bakhtiari(res/fut) OG Kynan Forney (resigned)	*RB Darren Sproles UFA(Franchised) WR Malcom Floyd RFA WR Cletis Gordon RFA OG Mike Goff UFA DE Igor Olashansky UFA** LB Marques Harris UFA C Jeremy Newberry	LB Anthony Waters (cut) RB Eldra Buckley (cut)

With the franchising of Darren Sproles which puts his salary at approximately $6 and a half million, the big story in San diego is the handling of LaDainian Tomlinson. If there is no restructuring imminent, all this sound and fury won't be for nothing, and LDT may very well be released. And the longer theis draws on, one school of thought holds, the worse the situation gets between the two parties. The situation already appears to have been mishandled initially by GM AJ Smith, and if Tomlinson feels like he is being manipulated unfairly, after being a shining example as a player and communtiy member, and then publicly stating that he is open to restructuring to help the team, things could get ugly. LDT will always have value on the open market, but fair compensation on a prime market become less and less realistic the further into free agency these talks go. A very likely scenario, could be that no agreement can be reached and that the result will be a dispute that ferments ont he roster and in the locker room all through 2009. that is never a good thing.
The Chargers may be in trouble on the offensive line in the near future, so efforts in free agency and the draft should be a priority for them. At #16 slipping prospects OT Michael Oher, Mississippi, and OT Andre Smith, Alabama, could very well be available, and would be much needed youth injections. Right Guard could use some attention as well, though early signs point towards more of a bandaid approach, with the team resigning G Kynan Forney to battle for the spot in training camp.
One scenario that has to be imagined for the Chargers, is how sweetly they are positioned to acquire one of the more intriguing prospects in the draft, RB Knowshon Moreno, Georgia. It would be an interesting development to see the prospect sometimes touted as "the next Tomlinson," actually step in and try to replace Tomlinson. Depending on Tomlinson's continued contract discussions, this scenario is one that could gain momentum, becoming almost a sure thing, or it could completely whither and fall off the vine, as the most unlikely option. But with long term doubt inherent in the current RB roster, San Diego should definitely be looking to spend at least one pick at the position, on the likes of Donald Brown, Connetticut, or Jeremiah Johnson, Oregon. Johnson has reportedly been in contact with the Chargers, so there is certainly some merit to the discussion.
Securing the secondary with a top safety might be something the Chargers pull off free agency, rather than waiting for a weak safety crop, but an alternative strategy, could be to look at the best cornerback deal that they cna drum up, in free agency or the draft. In that scenario, CB Antoine Cason would move to FS, not an impossible move, but definitely not the preferred course of action.
Indications are that OG Mike Goff, DE Igor Olashansky, LB Marques Harris, and C Jeremy Newberry will not be resigned by the team.