SB Nation - Ricardo Silva

Penn State's Reason For Hope #4 - Larry Johnson Sr.

BSD — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:00:23 -0000

I can remember a few years ago looking ahead to 2009 and thinking Penn State was going to be absolutely loaded on the defensive line. But a funny thing happened between then and now. Phil Taylor and Chris Baker were dismissed from the team. Maurice Evans and Aaron Maybin decided to go pro early. Josh Gaines had the audacity to graduate. And JoePa decided to throw Abe Koroma in the doghouse for a year and throw away the key.

Normally this kind of attrition would be devastating to any average defense. But I'm not worried, and I don't have the sense Nittany Lion fans are worried either. That's because we know that no matter how bad things get with dismissals and injuries, as long as we have Larry Johnson Sr. everything will be okay on the defensive line.

Of course nobody is worried about Jared Odrick, a first team All-BIg Ten selection a year ago who probably could have entered the NFL draft and done quite well for himself last spring. And we know his defensive tackle counterpart Ollie Ogbu is a proven commodity who I think is poised for a breakout season in 2009. With Devon Still, Chima Okoli, and Brandon Ware to back these guys up there's plenty of talent and depth to work with at the defensive tackle position.

But then nobody I read mentionsthe defensive tackles as a concern. The defensive ends are a different story. Penn State has to replace their top three guys on the outside this year. Maybin, Evans, and Gaines accounted for 19 sacks and 31.5 TFL. That's a lot of production to replace, but if there's one area Penn State has proven it can reload, it's on the defensive line.

Jack Crawford is Larry Johnson's latest project this summer. Standing an imposing six-foot-five and 256 lbs. with tremendous explosiveness due to years of playing basketball in England, Crawford has drawn comparisons to Aaron Maybin. I'll go one better than that. I'll go out on a limb and say Crawford will be better than Maybin before it's all said and done. Maybin, as good as he was, was really a one dimensional player. He was an outside pass rushing specialist, but he wasn't really that great against the running game, and he never really developed a bull rush due to the fact he couldn't put on weight. Crawford has explosiveness, but he also has the size Maybin could never obtain which I think will make him an even more dominant player.

On the other side it's going to be interesting to watch Johnson work his magic. It looks like Jerome Hayes is penciled in as the starter at weak side defensive end after two reconstructive knee surgeries in the past two years. It has me a bit concerned that he's our best option, but if he can show the same speed he did before his injuries he'll be a force to wreckon with coming off the edge on third and long.

He'll have to platoon with Kevion Latham on the weak side. Latham saw considerable action last year as a redshirt freshman. He reminds me a lot of Josh Gaines in his physique and his motor. This will be his third year under Johnson's tutelage, so I expect him to be a solid player.

Arizona Cardinals Post Draft Coverage: Best Undrafted Free Agents

Hawkwind — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:19:30 -0000

Well the fire from the NFL draft weekend is still smoldering but today, and possibly the next couple of days, will center around the guys who did not get drafted. The Arizona Cardinals signed thirteen undrafted free agents and four of those guys are on the team right now including Ali Highsmith who was a prominent special teams player before hurting his knee midway through the season. The Cardinals could find some very useful pieces on this scrap heap but they'll have to work quickly because they're bidding against every other team in the league. We'll take a look at some of the notable names as well as update when any signings happen:

Here are some names that might ring a bell and will certainly be on the top of quite a few teams' wish list:

Linebackers: The Cardinals didn't draft an ILB for the second consecutive year but there are some notable names still available and with any luck, these guys might turn out even better than Ali Highsmith did last year. There are couple of outside backers at the bottom who might interest the Cardinals considering that they probably stash them on the practice squad and see how they look in a year once they learn the position.

Darry Beckwith (6'0, 234), LSU: Beckwith was thought be a third or fourth round pick at worse but his injury history and lack of great size or athleticism must have hurt him more than scouts thought.
Dannell Ellerbe (6'1 236) Georgia: Teams obviously thought that Ellerbe's breakout season in 2007 was overshadowed by three mediocre seasons. He'll have an uphill battle to make any team but he's got some athleticism and could be a factor on special teams.
Antonio Appleby (6'3 245) Virginia: He's nothing special in terms of production or athletic ability but a 3-4 team will pick him up for depth and his potential as a two down thumper.
Worrell Williams (5'11, 240) California: Williams is undersized but he's got experience in a 3-4 and the athleticism to be an NFL player.
Orion Martin (6'3, 262) Virginia Tech: Another former college DE who is probably best served switching to OLB, he's totaled 14 sacks over the past two seasons but ran a disappointing 4.89 at the combine.

Defensive Line: The Cardinals completely ignored the defensive line in the draft despite some concerns about the depth at defensive end and nose tackle. I'd be surprised if a couple of UDFA's aren't some wide bodied defenders.

Chris Baker (6'2 326) Hampton: Off the field problems forced him to leave Penn State and most likely are the biggest reason that's he field phone calls today instead of packing for an NFL team already. He's got the talent (16.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks) to play in this league but will need soem guidance.
Mitch King (6'1, 280) Iowa: King played defensive end, tackle and even linebacker while at Iowa and could project at either end or linebacker in the NFL. His tweener status probably kept him from being drafted by he's a versatile defender who carried a mid-round grade from some scouts.
Everette Pedescleaux (6'5, 305) Northern Iowa: The Cardinals were rumored to have brought Pedescleaux in for a visit before the draft and he'd offer some depth and athleticism at the defensive end spot.

Offensive skill positions: While the Cardinals might be stacked at running back after the selections of Wells and LSH, it wouldn't hurt to add another body to man the practice squad. Any receiver with some return potential might also be intriguing as should any balanced tight end.

Jeremiah Johnson (5'9 209) Oregon: He was never really a featured runner but he totalled over 2,000 yards at Oregon and averaged over six yards per carry. He's also got experience returning kicks.
Ian Johnson (5'11, 212) Boise State: Johnson ran surprisingly fast at the combine (4.46) but his long list of injury is concerning.
Devin Moore (5'9, 191) Wyoming: Moore's size hurts his stock but his athleticism is amazing and he could help a team as a third down back and kick returner.
Kory Sheets (5'11, 208) Purdue: Another smallish back with outstanding speed (4.47) who doubles as a back and return man.
Marlon Lucky and Arian Foster (5'11, 216 & 6'1, 215): Both Lucky and Foster were starting backs who ran disappointing 40's and failed to establish themselves as NFL material but seven rounds of waiting might just be the motivation that they needed.
Quan Cosby (5'9, 196) Texas: He's small and old for an NFL rookie (26) but he is faster than he timed (4.57) and was a successful punt and kick returner at Texas.
Jeremy Gilchrist (5'9 176) Hampton: Gilchrist is tiny and was neutralized by double teams after totaling over a 1,000 yards in 2007 but his six punt return touchdowns in the past two years is hard to ignore.
Ryan Purvis (6'3, 254) Boston College: A physically limited tight end whose senior production drastically dropped off with Matt Ryan gone, but he's physical, willing blocker who had over 50 reception in 2007.
Jared Bronson (6'4, 254) Central Washington: Bronson's a decent in-line blocker who has also shown the ability to stretch the field (17.9 yards per catch in 2008).

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There are countless other guys we could mention but that's a small taste. Who else would you like to see the Cardinals take a look at? What positions still need the most help?

Scouting The Draft: Day Two Nose Tackles

Matty I — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 04:15:08 -0000

Editor's note: Don't forget to cast your vote in our "Pulse of Dolphins Nation" poll about who you want drafted with the 25th overall pick.

It's widely expected that one of the things Miami's font office is spending time on leading up to the draft is the potential selection of a nose tackle. According to many, myself included, the nose tackle position is the most important position in a 3-4 defense. Simply put, you cannot run a 3-4 scheme without a reliable nose tackle. With Jason Ferguson turning 35 years old in November, it's becoming increasingly important for the Dolphins to find Jason's "heir apparent."

B.J. Raji, the draft's top defensive tackle, can certainly play the nose - but will be long gone by the time Miami picks. His college teammate, Ron Brace, is a likely second round prospect - and could be on Miami's radar. But I wanted to focus more on potential second day nose tackle prospects.

One guy who won't be on this list is Temple's Terrance Knighton - who I like a lot as a potential nose. The reason? I already included him on a "day two prospects" list a few weeks back - and you can view that by clicking here.

Terrance Taylor, Michigan
6'0 1/8", 306

You'd like your nose tackle to be a little taller, but Taylor is still a solid nose candidate because how stout he plays at the point of attack. A lot of scouts rave about how Terrance is able to keep his pad level low - which is very important in keeping his leverage. He has the ability to occupy multiple blockers and he has a terrific initial push. The biggest knock on him, though, is that he might not be in the best shape and has poor stamina. But with the patented "Bill Parcells offseason conditioning program," I wouldn't be too worried about Taylor's stamina. Give him a year in Miami under this regime and he'll be ready to play as a full-time starter in 2010.

Sammie Lee Hill, Stillman
6'3 7/8", 329

Here's a guy whose stock has risen very quickly to the point of possibly sneaking into round three. He was immensely productive in college, tallying 12 sacks and 29.5 tackles for loss in his last two seasons. But that was playing against division II talent - not exactly good competition. But there's a lot to like about him. He's got terrific size. He benched 225 pounds 27 times, showing off his strength. He has very long arms (34"). And he's very agile for his size - something a nose tackle has to be, though people often times forget that. The biggest knock, according to scouts (other than his experience against subpar competition) is that he doesn't always play with great leverage and that he must improve his pad level. That's something you can coach up - and guys of his physical stature and talent simply don't come along too often.

You can read more on Sammie Lee Hill in GatorPhan's terrific scouting report.

Chris Baker, Hampton
6'2, 326

Baker is a typical "boom or bust" player. He has all the physical talent in the world. He's strong, explodes off the snap, and will stand up his man at the line of scrimmage. His long arms (34") also allow him to to really get great leverage against his blocker. So why was he at Hampton? Baker transferred to Hampton for his 2008 season after being dismissed from the Penn State team for 2 felony charges that stemmed from 2 separate fights. He began his college career as a backup at Penn State in 2006 before starting 12 games in 2007 as a redshirt sophomore - when he totaled 37 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 8 tackles for loss. In his one season at Hampton, Baker had 8.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss. It'll be interesting to see where he falls on draft day. How much of a concern is Baker's character? Some believe it's a major red flag while others feel he was just a kid at the wrong place at the wrong time. If the Dolphins' front office is leaning more towards the "wrong place, wrong time" theory, then you have to imagine Chris is on their radar.

Dorell Scott, Clemson
6'3 1/4", 312

If you're talking strictly about measurables, then Dorell Scott is the player in this draft who most closely resembles Jason Ferguson. They have similar builds - and truth be told - they have similar styles of play. He's very strong (benched 225 pounds 29 times) but is nimble and quick off the snap. He's also a smart player who will get in the passing lanes and put his arms up to make it tougher on the quarterback. He's willing to take on blocks and can hold up at the point of attack. The biggest knock on him, though, is reportedly his leverage. He doesn't keep his pads low on a regular basis, which allows blockers to get under him and shove him backwards. But, again, that's a technique issue that can be worked out. And one of the things I've read about Scott from various scouting reports is that he has the frame to be able to put on another 10 pounds or so without it really restricting his play.

Marlon Favorite, LSU
6'0 7/8", 314

Right off the bat, the obvious knock on Favorite is his lack of ideal size. But he knows how to play despite his ideal height - keeping his pads low andp laying with leverage against his blocker. He holds up well at the point of attack, even against double teams. And he's not afraid to mix it up with opposing linemen. He doesn't possess the kind of initial explosion off the line that you'd like, though. But he has a high motor to make up for that. He's also a locker room favorite and a guy whose teammates tend to look to as a leader - which is similar to the locker room traits that Jason Ferguson possesses.