SB Nation - Kevin Ellison

USC Roundtable

TwistNHook — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:00:10 -0000

TwistNHook: DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES???

Could this be the year? Could this be the year, we finally break through. For all of our ups and all of our downs, we've played USC really hard. Only in 2005, during the Era of Ayoob, did we get crushed. All the other years, Cal is right in it. In 2006 and 2008, USC pulled away late to make it look not as close as it really was. But even in that rough 2007 year, we were right in it up until....wait for it....wait for it, stunningly, a late 4th quarter Longshore interception. Did not see *that* one coming?

So, what are your guys thoughts? Can Cal beat USC? Or will Taylor "I crush the dreams of babies on a daily basis" Mays be enough to play every position on the field????

Avinash: Let's go over this point: It's not a "miracle" for Cal to beat USC. This isn't 2003 anymore. We are not huge underdogs and haven't played like huge underdogs. We've played the Trojans like equals, USC has just managed to outlast us each time.

The Bears have played the Trojans tightly in four of their five previous matchups; USC has been slightly better than us each time we've faced them. They've won the 4th quarter both ways, by getting the big stops and/or putting the points on the board. Good for them.

But if we beat USC this season, it's not a monumental upset, like Oregon State playing perfect football and the Trojans playing like dogs, or the Furd with their dorky voodoo. We will have to be the better team to pull it out. USC is not going to sleep on us. They will hit us hard and we'll have to swing back.

TwistNHook: If it is not going to be a miracle for Cal to beat USC, why do you keep praying upon Danzig, the Patron Saint of Awesomeness? He will grant us a miracle this year!

via images.athlonsports.com

Avinash: One of the most fearsome matchups will be USC's ridiculously experienced offensive line that should steady Aaron Corp's hand. Three seniors, one junior. I'd say they have a good chance to be as good as Cal 2007 in terms of pass protection.

The 3-4 gave them problems last year, but our best pass rusher is now gone. Not to mention the running back corps (Gable, Johnson and McKnight, along with Havili and his annoying fullback wheel route) all return a year older and stronger.

So where beating USC last season depending on scoring on their defense, this year it probably means stopping their offense. Which means taking apart the Trojan offensive line. What will be the key to beating USC's O-line?

TwistNHook: If we are sticking with the 3-4 this year, then it would seem to me that the key is our linebacker play. So, it is up to Young, Bishop, Kendricks, Holt, guys like that to make the key stop. It sounds like our DLine will have its hands full with their OLine!

But what about their D? Sounds as powerful as ever. Especially with All-Galaxy Taylor Mays making baby Jesus cry every Saturday. There are a few positions still up in the air. The LA Times has some info:

Nose tackle -- Sophomore Jurrell Casey and junior Christian Tupou are battling for the starting job, but both will play a lot. Senior Averell Spicer, who lost the starting job last season after committing two costly penalties in the loss at Oregon State, is atop the depth chart at the other tackle spot. Junior college transfer Hebron Fangupo could figure in at both positions.

Strong safety -- Sixth-year senior Josh Pinkard and fifth-year senior Will Harris will compete to start alongside All-American free safety Taylor Mays. The savvy Pinkard has started at safety and cornerback. Harris proved his value last season by playing very well in place of injured Kevin Ellison.

Avinash: The Trojan defense is not going to be as strong as it was last year. That was one of the greatest defenses ever to suit up on a college football field, and they would've gotten their due had they not tripped up in Beaver Land. They lost seven starters. You don't stay the same losing seven starters.

So even if there is a load of talent up front, they're going to have trouble getting it into shape for prolonged periods this season. It should still be enough to win 10-11 games, but they will be vulnerable to the run and short pass game, two places where Cal has been able to exploit the Trojans in the past.

HydroTech: I still think the Trojans are the team to beat in the Pac-10 despite their personnel losses from last year, but like Avinash said, it's not a miracle to beat U$C any more.

As good as U$C's OL may be, you can't help but wonder if perhaps it won't matter if Corp doesn't pan out. AT LEAST ONE U$C QB HAS TO SUCK, RIGHT?!?!?! RIGHT??? A bit more seriously now, Corp is what? A red-shirt sophomore with a total of 4 pass attempts in his career. I mean, this guy truly lacks experience. And despite being like the #1 rated QB or something a couple of years ago, and behind the Great Wall of China U$C offensive line, the dude still has to be able to make his reads and throws. Every great football program has some QB duds. Corp could be U$C's dud. You never know. Or he might light up the Pac-10 with a brightness unknown to Pac-10 defenses and win the Heisman or something in typical U$C fashion.

Btw, I totes found myself in Las Vegas not too long ago and I think I saw 100,000 people there wearing U$C gear and 2 people wearing Cal gear.

TwistNHook: How many people were wearing Washington State gear?

Well, now Corp is out for the next 1-2 weeks. Do you think that'll have any noticeable impact on this team or not really?

HydroTech: Probably not. Corp will be back before the seasons starts and he'll get reps with the first team prior to their first game. I see his injury having little impact on the team. If the team were a less talented team, I could definitely see a starting QB's injury having more of an impact. But when a team as talented as U$C loses their starting QB for a few weeks during fall camp, I don't see it impacting them that much.

Avinash: What would be the best strategy for Cal to expose USC this season?

TwistNHook: Are you getting paid by Big Bold per bolding or something? Why are you always bolding stuff???

Yellow Fever: Back to Corp for a second, I just wonder if this pushes up the timetable for Matt Barkley at all. Everyone's been saying how impressive he is, and his stated goal is to be the starter by the end of the year. So even if Corp's injury does linger for a while, it might not have the effect on the team as a whole that we think it will.

TwistNHook: Heres some more injury news on USC:

With all eyes on the USC quarterback race while starter Aaron Corp rests his ailing leg, the Trojans got more bad news at their scrimmage Monday night at the Coliseum. Southern Cal starting center Kristofer O'Dowd, the team's best offensive lineman, went down on the first drive and needed to be helped off the field.

Their best OLineman, Kris O'Dowd, went down in practice. For right now, not too much is known, but he had to be helped off the field. Of course, their backup is a senior, so they have depth. But we all know that the key to any team's success, including USC, is their OLine. So, keep an eye on how this turns out.

Anyway, Anybody else think the 2004 National Championship trophy falling from its perch is a delightful omen for USC disaster in the coming year? I can't the only one who thinks a glass object falling can affect hundreds and hundreds of plays over the course of months, right? Right??

Ragnarok: Well, superstition aside, I think there's very good reason to think that Cal can win this game. For one thing, the 2009 edition of the Bears will almost certainly be the best team USC has faced in Berkeley since about, oh, 1991. The 2004 and 2006 teams were both great, but both had to play the Trojans on the road. The last 3 teams to travel down to the Coliseum? A combined 29-9 record, 2 Holiday Bowl berths, and a share of a Pac-10 title. All three played USC close, but all three ultimately fell short. On the flip side, however, the last three Bears teams to face USC at home had a combined record of just 23-16, going on to win the slightly less-prestigious Insight, Las Vegas, and Armed Forces Bowls. Getting the Trojans at home without the handicap of either a) Joe Ayoob, or b) an injured Nate Longshore should portend great things for our Bears.

Yellow Fever: I'm just happy to find out that both Bruce Feldman and Stewart Mandel think college 40 times are a load of shit. It's reassuring to know that Taylor Mays is not, in fact, faster than Usain Bolt.

Avinash: Depending on how the Trojans perform against Ohio State, it wouldn't be that much of a shocker to see the Bears favored against USC assuming (and that's a BIG assumption) Cal starts the season 4-0. Even so, the line would be very close I expect. That opening season line makes me believe Vegas takes Cal very seriously this season.

TwistNHook: So, then, how do you see this ending up? Cal 17-14. Can I believe??

Ruh roh!

CRYSTAL FOOTBALL STRIKES AGAIN:

USC's first-team defensive end Armond Armstead broke a bone in his foot Thursday morning and will be out six weeks, according to the school.

Armstead, a talented 6-foot-5, 295-pound sophomore, will have surgery on Friday. He broke his fifth metatarsal (outer most bone) in his left foot when someone stepped on it during practice.

Yellow Fever: I'll be honest, I've never heard of this guy until now. But I guess that's not surprising since I can't name anyone on their defense except Taylor Mays, and they end up fielding a top five defense every year anyway. I assume they have another five star recruit lined up behind this guy on the depth chart anyway.

TwistNHook: Interestingly enough, the articles notes this:

Wes Horton and Nick Perry, both redshirt freshmen, will compete to replace Armstead, who had been playing very well since spring practices.

So, they have redshirt freshmen. Doesn't mean they weren't 5 star All-World recruits redshirt freshmen. But they are still redshirt freshmen.

HydroTech: USC has such a stockpile of talent that they can lose guys to injuries and still be very dominant. Unless we start getting reports that their entire first team offense and defense is getting injured, AND their second team offense and defense are getting injured, then perhaps I'll start getting optimistic.

One interesting question this year, is whether USC will continue their runningback by committee thing. Are they ever going to have a #1 guy? Or are they going to stick with running three different guys during the game? Ironically, despite many Cal fans saying Tedford should mimic whatever Pete Carrol does (because if Petey does it then that's the right way to do it and Tedford is an idiot for not doing like Petey), Cal fans haven't really been clamoring to adopt the whole runningback by committee approach.

Ragnarok: Well, Cal has done very well with its runningback tandems in the past, and frankly, it's the one position where there hasn't really been anything to complain about. USC does it their way, we do it ours, and it works for both of us.

If history is any guide, I expect this game to be a low-scoring, defensive struggle. Over the last 5 years or so, Cal's defense has (mostly) been able to stifle the Trojans' offense in a way few other teams have, holding them to 23, 35 (ayoob year), 23, 24, and 17 points. Other than 2005, every game was close, and every game was withing Cal's reach in the 4th quarter. Problem is, as good as Cal's defense has been, the Trojan's defense (combined with some offensive ineptitude on the Bears' part) has been better. Over those same five games, Cal scored 17, 10, 9, 17, and 3 points. 3! I really think the key to this game will be whether Cal can finally muster 20+ points vs. a green (but still very talented) Trojan defense.

via www.themightymjd.com

Avinash: I don't make many predictions. I will today. Cal is going to beat USC.

Yellow Fever: I don't think there's much doubt that the key to the game is going to be whether Riley can muster up enough of a passing game to let Best average at least two yards a carry. But then, that's basically the case for the whole season, isn't it?

I do think USC is more vulnerable this year than they have been in a while. Between losing eight of eleven defensive starters and breaking in a new QB, and with Cal having the consensus best RB in the country, it's tough not to point to this game as one that Cal should win. Then again, the QB train over at USC never seems to stop, so I'm still not going to get my hopes up.

Poll

How do you think Cal will do against USC?

Big win

35 votes

Close win

165 votes

Close loss

41 votes

Big loss

20 votes

261 votes | Poll has closed

San Diego Chargers 2009 NFL Draft Grades

John (obviousman) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:23:30 -0000

More photos » by Jack Smith - AP

San Diego Chargers' first-round draft pick Larry English, second from right, holds up his new jersey as, from left to right, general manager A.J. Smith, president-CEO Dean Spanos and head coach Norv Turner look on during a news conference Sunday, April 26, 2009, in San Diego. English, a linebacker, is from Northern Illinois. (AP Photo/Jack Smith)

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Larry English, OLB, N. Illinois (Round 1, Pick 16 - 16th Overall)

I don't think anyone was really surprised by this choice. In the past week we began discussing AJ Smith's past picks and how we almost never know who the guy is before he's drafted. AJ did it again, drafting what he believed to be the best player available at 16. This was not the most exciting pick, but it's one that provides the defense with some sorely-needed depth.

The more I watch of Larry English, the more he looks like a fearsome pass rusher. He's built in a similar mold as Merriman - strong, fast and tenacious. After sitting through 2008, I like the idea that an injury to Merriman or Phillips no longer means our defense turns into wet paper. This pick also has me fearing the upcoming offseason and negotiations with Merriman a little less. Most importantly though, our pass rushing linebackers are deeper than ever with Merriman, Phillips, English and Jyles Tucker.

2009 Outlook: Not a starter, but Larry English will see plenty of time on the field.

Pick Grade: B+

Louis Vasquez, OG, Texas Tech (Round 3, Pick 14 - 78th Overall)

Immediately Louis Vasquez becomes our widest offensive lineman. McNeil is the heaviest at 335lbs, but Vasquez matches that weight while being three inches shorter. This pick is all about potential. He has unbelievable size and strength to go with great quickness off the line and quick, nimble feet. Louis' only drawback seems to be that he spent so much time in pass-blocking at Texas Tech that he has little experience driving the defender back or pulling down the line. These things can be taught.

2009 Outlook: With an outstanding camp Louis Vasquez could possibly compete for the starting RG spot. It's more likely that he'll sit out most of 2009 while having his skills refined.

Pick Grade: B

Vaughn Martin, DT, Western Ontario (Round 4, Pick 13 - 113th Overall)

Here's the risk pick. The one that the fans know nothing about because we don't typically watch Canadian College Football. At 6'4", 330lbs Martin has the size to be the Chargers Nose Tackle of the future. Although he was not invited to the combine, during his workout for NFL teams Martin ran the 40 in about 5 seconds, did 33 bench press reps and somehow did the 20-yard shuttle in 4.31 seconds. By comparison, Larry English ran the 40 at 4.88 and did the 20-yard shuttle in 4.38 seconds. It's quite possible the Chargers just drafted a player with Jamal Williams' size and Shawne Merriman's speed.

The one reason I'm down on this pick is it seems to be a major reach. Martin was expected to go undrafted or possibly get grabbed in the 7th round.

2009 Outlook: Because the Chargers need depth on the defensive line, Vaughn Martin may end up as a backup of some sort for the upcoming season. However, he is a project and will need to adjust to the rules of American football as well as the size, speed and ferocity of the game before he has any chance of starting.

Pick Grade: D

Tyronne Green, C, Auburn (Round 4, Pick 33 - 133rd Overall)

A pick of tremendous value. Green will replace Newberry, who was effective but might have the creakiest knees in football. Tyronne provides good size (6'1.5", 309lbs), strength and versatility (he played OG at Auburn). To add to that, his athleticism makes him a tremendous pull blocker who hits the second level with power and keeps his head on a swivel.

2009 Outlook: Barring any injury, Tyronne Green will not see any playing time in 2009 but will be sitting behind a former Pro Bowler and learning the Center position from him. Grabbing a Center in the draft was seen as a priority after consecutive injury-plagued seasons from Hardwick.

Pick Grade: A

Gartrell Johnson, RB, Colorado St. (Round 4, Pick 34 - 134th Overall)

This is a pick I'm very excited about. Although I believe LaDainian Tomlinson to be a great player, I have spent many games screaming at my TV for the Chargers to get a power back. Or, when they knew they had one in Michael Turner, for them to use a power back. Not necessarily because I think a big, bruising runner would have more success in certain situations of the game but because LT needs to be taken care of so we can extend his career and get the most from him. This was gone over in great depth here, but to summarize: The Chargers have worked Tomlinson harder than any other back in the league since his rookie season and he's starting to break down because of it. It's time to let somebody else take that pounding and have LT healthy for the playoffs.

As for Gartrell Johnson, I think he's a fantastic player. He's built like a MAC truck and he runs like one too. From what I've seen of him as a college player, he almost never goes down from the first or second hit. As a matter of fact, it usually takes two or three guys to get him down. Johnson is the polar opposite of Darren Spoles. He is not very fast and is not going to be able to make it to the corner for an outside run. Gartrell Johnson takes the ball and runs straight up the middle, but his strength and determination make him very effective at that.

2009 Outlook: Gartrell Johnson is going to get a lot of looks. He's going to be out starting RB in the preseason to save Sproles from the pounding and I think he's going to impress a lot of people. As the Charger short-yardage back I'm looking for a first-year similar to Brandon Jacobs' second year: 96 attempts (less than 7 per game), 423 yards (4.4 yards per attempt), 9 TD.

Pick Grade: B

Brandon Hughes, CB, Oregon St. (Round 5, Pick 12 - 148th Overall)

I thought after a night of sleep I'd wake up and realize why this pick was made. Nope. Brandon Hughes is an undersized corner (5'10.5", 182lbs) with good speed. The scouting report on Hughes describes him as "feisty, physical and quick" when playing the run or a screen pass, so he likes to hit. Due to his size he has a hard time fighting through blocks and has only average ball skills (and hands). His ceiling seems to be as a nickel corner.

2009 Outlook: Brandon Hughes will not see the field in 2009. With five or six cornerbacks ahead of him on the roster, Hughes will most likely end up on the practice squad.

Pick Grade: D-

Kevin Ellison, S, USC (Round 6, Pick 16 - 189th Overall)

Rodney Harrison, part two. Kevin Ellison is a linebacker with good enough ball skills to play safety. He is without a doubt a strong safety, one who likes being the 8th man in the box and laying a big hit on a RB or a WR coming across the middle. Ellison's scouting report says he's very good at defending TEs over the middle, but struggles with covering a RB or WR near the sidelines.

The question I'm asking with this pick is if the big, hard-hitting strong safety with marginal cover skills is still an asset in the NFL. The Chargers let Rodney Harrison go, the Cowboys let Roy Williams go and it seems teams are looking more for fast/quick players that can lay the lick (like Polamalu) than a linebacker to play in the secondary.

2009 Outlook: Kevin Ellison could end up taking the starting safety spot away from Clinton Hart with a good training camp. If he shows the same level of ability or better in coverage as a rookie, I have no reason to believe they'd put Hart out there. Even if Ellison doesn't win the job out of camp, he could be the starter by the end of the season.

Pick Grade: B-

Demetrius Byrd, WR, LSU (Round 7, Pick 15 - 224th Overall)

I always liked Demetrius Byrd. He was one of those players that I couldn't quite put my finger on why I liked him so much, but it seemed like when the ball was in the air he just wanted it more. In reality, there are several things I can take out of that sentence and translate. One, he plays with passion. Two, he has the strength to fight for the ball. Three, he's a QB's best friend (a receiver who comes back to the ball). Four, he's tough. Fifth, he's the best college receiver I've seen at making an over-the-shoulder catch in-stride. And finally, Byrd has a burst of speed that cannot be captured in statistics or measurements.

Byrd was projected to go in the 5th round or higher, but a recent one-car accident has put him in the hospital with no news as to the severity of his injuries. If he fully recovers, it's a steal. If he doesn't, it was still a good risk to take.

2009 Outlook: Recovery, I imagine. Depending on the severity of his injuries, Byrd may not be able to play at all this season. In his first healthy year I expect Byrd to be our 4th receiver and push for the slot receiver spot.

Pick Grade: B

Poll

What did you think of the Chargers 2009 draft?

Loved it! We filled our needs on both sides of the ball

284 votes

Hated it! These guys will not contribute!

55 votes

Too early to tell

630 votes

969 votes | Poll has closed

San Diego Chargers select Kevin Ellison, Safety, USC

John (obviousman) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:52:06 -0000

via www.petecarroll.com

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Kevin Ellison

#4 / Safety / USC Trojans

Height: 6-1

Weight: 230

Year: senior

The San Diego Chargers selected Safety Kevin Ellison from USC with the 189th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He will provide depth and could possibly compete for a starting Safety job in the upcoming season.

Kevin Ellison to the San Diego Chargers

Paragon SC — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:49:29 -0000

This is fantastic!

I wasn't sure if he would be drafted so this is great news!

FIGHT ON KEVIN!

Rumblings Authors Mock, V2.0 - Ron's Take

Ron From NM — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:30:09 -0000

More photos » by Sue Ogrocki - AP

7 months ago: FILE - In this Oct. 20, 2007 file photo, Oklahoma State tight end Brandon Pettigrew, right, dives for a touchdown as Kansas State defender Justin McKinney, left, defends during the fourth quarter of a college football game in Stillwater, Okla. Pettigrew is a top prospect in the 2009 NFL Draft. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

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As I sit down to write this latest installment of the Rumblings Authors Mock series (gotta love having a Monday off), I have the distinct feeling that my seven round tradeless draft is going to be ugly. Way back on Valentine’s Day I put up a mock draft in which I predicted the Top 10 shaking out like this: OT Eugene Monroe, OT Andre Smith, DE Everette Brown, WR Michael Crabtree, LB Aaron Curry, CB Malcolm Jenkins, DE Brian Orakpo, DT B.J. Raji, LB Aaron Maybin, QB Matt Stafford.

That was back before the Jason Peters contract debacle, his subsequent trade to Philly, and even before the Combine. Naturally, things have changed a bit and I see the Top 10 going a little differently now.

1 - DET - QB Matthew Stafford
2 - STL - OT Jason Smith
3 - KC - LB Aaron Curry
4 - SEA - OT Eugene Monroe
5 - CLE - WR Michael Crabtree
6 - CIN - OT Andre Smith
7 - OAK - DE Everette Brown
8 - JAX - DT B.J. Raji
9 - GB - DE Brian Orakpo
10 - SF - QB Mark Sanchez

The Bills think Andre Smith is the best OT in the draft irrespective of his weird behavior and flabby gut. Aaron Maybin apparently won’t be the pick. OBD thinks highly of both LB Clay Matthews and TE Brandon Pettigrew. Given that Dick Jauron needs to save his job this season, here's my "no trades" mock draft...

1-11: Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State. Matthews has ‘upside’. That won’t help Jauron, since it will take Matthews time to develop. Pettigrew, by all accounts, is a fairly well-polished all around TE and will be able to step in and play effectively immediately. Besides, the Bills lost games due to offensive ineptitude, not shoddy linebacker play. Yes, Pettigrew is off the board much earlier than his ‘value’ dictates, but Buffalo has been happy to buck conventional wisdom in the past.

1-28: Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee. There is a better chance than some think that Ayers will be available late in the first round. Oher, Freeman, Maualuga, Jenkins, Maclin, Heyward-Bey, Jackson, Maybin, and Jerry figure to round out the Top 20 in some order. Houston is the wild card, as they play a 4-3 and could take Ayers even though they have other needs. After that Philly, Detroit, Atlanta and Indy are the only 4-3 teams standing between Ayers and #28. All of them have bigger needs than DE that they could choose to address instead. If he's gone then Max Unger could be the pick instead.

2-42: William Beatty, OT, Connecticut. The Bills will be drafting 2-3 offensive linemen. If Ayers is gone at #28 and Unger is the pick there then Barwin could be the choice here. It's simply inconceiveable that Buffalo would completely ignore a huge area of need early in the draft. Whatever the order, Buffalo should come away from the first two rounds with a DE and OL.

3-75: Kraig Urbik, OG, Wisconsin. Naturally, if Unger was the pick at No. 28, then Urbik won’t be the pick here. He’s enormous, something Buffalo seems to like in offensive linemen, and should be on the board here. If no DE was taken earlier, then DE Lawrence Sidbury from Richmond would be the guy at No. 75.

4-110: Michael Hamlin, SS, Clemson. Considering both the quality of the guys manning Buffalo’s FS and SS positions and the fact that they will all be free agents within the next two years makes it important to begin to develop a SS now. Plus, Hamlin should be a demon on special teams.

4-121: Trevor Canfield, OG, Cincinnati. Buffalo needs interior line depth. Butler has missed games each year he has been in the league and Chambers could be recalled to his swing tackle duties if Walker, Bell and/or Beatty go down. Barring injury, Canfield - like Urbik - would have time to develop.

5-147: Nic Harris, LB, Oklahoma. Yes, this pretty much means that Keith Ellison will be starting for yet another season.

6-183: Kevin Ellison, SS, USC. Yes, the Ellison brothers are hitting the town together. Lock up your women and preferably any ball carriers. For a late round flyer the younger Ellison should, if he makes the team, at least help on special teams. Let’s just hope that tackling isn’t a genetic thing…

7-220: Brannan Southerland, FB, Georgia. The Bills, according to Turk Schonert, aren’t going to be using much in the way of a true fullback. Of course, with the Lynch suspension, someone is going to have to carry the ball. Also, having a mammoth offensive line just screams fullback in third and short situations.

Well, it’s not quite as ugly as I thought: TE Pettigrew, DE Ayers, OT Beatty, OG Urbik, SS Hamlin, OG Canfield, LB Harris, SS Ellison and FB Southerland. Of those guys, I see Pettigrew making an immediate impact. Ayers should at least push for significant playing time, though he's not going to solve the pass rush woes. Urbik and Beatty would likely be training camp battles just to see if they could see the field, and everyone else but Southerland would be dedicated special teamers. Better than I thought but not enough.

Relax, though - there's hope. Head on in past the jump to read "Ron’s Wheelin’ & Dealin 7 round draft", where things get... a bit more interesting. And lengthy.

Okay, we’ve seen how a draft without trades, so now let’s see what kind of draft the Bills could have with a couple of do-able trades. The Bills have already swung a trade with Philly, sending perpetually petulant Peters packing (alliteration!) for 28 and 121 (plus a 2010 sixth rounder).

The Bills are, as of this writing, set to begin draft day with 11, 28, 42, 75, 110, 121, 147, 183 and 220. However, there are rumors of a Parrish to Pittsburgh deal in the works. Since Buffalo seems willing to move Parrish (and Kelsay, as if anyone would give up anything of value for him) and Pittsburgh is in need of both a WR and return man I'll factor in a pre-draft deal. Most folks seem to think that Parrish should bring a 4th or 5th. I'm going to err on the conservative side of things and send Parrish and 121 to Pittsburgh for 96. On the trade charts that works out to about a mid 4th round selection in terms of cost to Pittsburgh, not an unreasonable asking price. It also doesn't deplete the Steelers' stock of picks. So, after two pre-draft trades (one completed, one just a possibility at this point) the Bills enter the draft with 11, 28, 42, 75, 96, 110, 147, 183 and 220.

The teams at the top of the board have been trying to trade down but have apparently not found many takers--mainly due to the cost of those top 5 picks. I don't see Cincy trading out of #6 given their dire need at OT nor do I see Al Davis passing on DE Brown.

1 - DET - QB Matthew Stafford
2 - STL - OT Jason Smith
3 - KC - LB Aaron Curry
4 - SEA - OT Eugene Monroe
5 - CLE - WR Michael Crabtree
6 - CIN - OT Andre Smith
7 - OAK - DE Everette Brown

The Jags, on the other hand, are in terrific position to drop back (particularly if Henderson is still on the roster) and are reportedly eager to do a deal. With Sanchez and Freeman on the board QB starved teams will make efforts to move up and Jacksonville is going to benefit. With picks to burn and a dire need at QB, Denver outbids everyone and makes Jacksonville an offer Del Rio would be brain dead to refuse: #12 and #48 for #8.

8 - DEN - QB Mark Sanchez
9 - GB - DT BJ Raji
10 - DE - Brian Orakpo

Buffalo’s phone starts ringing mainly because QB Josh Freeman and OT Michael Oher are on the board. Teams like San Diego and Washington want to move up but can only offer their 1st plus a 2010 pick. Jauron tells them he won't be around in 2010 to use the pick if he doesn't get guys to help him win in 2009. The Jets, interested in Freeman but not completely in a panic over the thought of waiting, offer the Bills #17 and #76 for #11 and #110. Tampa Bay, not entirely confident in Griese or Leftwich, offer #19 and #81 for #11. Detroit, wanting Oher to protect Stafford, has the juice to beat those other offers. Needing to also retain a goodly number of early round picks (to offset their lack of 4th and 5th rounders) the Lions offer #20 and #33 for #11 and #75. With Oher not ranked much higher than the OTs left on Buffalo's board and with Pettigrew, Matthews or Ayers certain to be on the board at #20 it's just a question of which deal to take. The Jets offer is quickly dismissed. The Bucs offer gives the Bills an extra third while simultaneously screwing the Jets. The Lions deal, however, is too tempting to pass up.

11 - DET - OT Michael Oher

The Bills now have the No. 20 (Lions deal), No. 28 (Philly - Peters deal), No. 33 (Lions deal), No. 42, No. 96 (Steelers) No. 110, No. 147, No. 183, and No. 220. Freeman is still on the board and Jacksonville, needing WR help and knowing they'll have options later in the round, fields calls from the Jets and Bucs. The Jags take the Jets' offer (17 and 76 for 12 and 107), mainly because the Jets are likely to take a WR if they don't get a QB.

12 - NYJ - QB Josh Freeman
13 - WAS - LB Rey Maualuga
14 - NO - CB Malcolm Jenkins

Philly is right behind Buffalo and knows that the Bills may well take Pettigrew. With their LT position solidified, the Eagles use their 3rd rounder (which Buffalo oddly turned down) and #21 to try to trade up with Houston. The Texans, without gaping holes to fill, are more than happy to add a 3rd rounder for dropping back.

15 - PHI - TE Brandon Pettigrew
16 - SD - DE Tyson Jackson
17 - JAX - WR Jeremy Maclin
18 - DEN - DE Aaron Maybin
19 - TB - DT Peria Jerry

OBD has to be thrilled to see both Ayers and Matthews on the board at #20. Taking a look at the 4-3 teams standing between picks #20 and #28 (Houston, Minny, Atlanta, Indy), the Bills realize that Atlanta (LB), Indy (DT, LB), Houston (G, C) and Minny (OT, C) have more needs to address than DE...and that most of the 3-4 teams need LBs. The Bills pass on Ayers, gambling he'll be on the board at #28 and begin the run on LBs:

20 - BUF - LB Clay Matthews

21 - HOU - LB Brian Cushing

22 - MIN - WR Darrius Heyward-Bey

23 - NE - DE/LB Michael Johnson

Baltimore hops in front of the Dolphins and gets one of the better 3-4 OLB prospects left. With the pick values closing rapidly it only costs the Ravens their 4th rounder.

24 - BAL - DE/LB Larry English

25 - MIA - LB James Laurinaitis

26 - ATL - CB Darius Butler

27 - IND - DT Evander Hood

The Bills are ecstatic to see that Ayers has slid through the 4-3 teams to make it to 28. Houston was the real wild card. Ayers is their kind of DE but Cushing's slide saved the day. If Ayers is taken then Mack or Unger would be a good pick.

28 - BUF - DE Robert Ayers

29 - NYG - WR Percy Harvin
30 - TEN - CB Vontae Davis
31 - ARI - OT Eben Britton

32 - PIT - C/G Max Unger

The second round begins... Buffalo needs offensive line help but has yet to address the TE position. Loadholt has the size the Bills like in linemen but not necessarily the speed and agility. With that in mind:

33 - BUF - OT William Beatty

34 - NE - DT Ron Brace
35 - STL - WR Hakeem Nicks
36 - CLE - LB Clint Sintim
37 - SEA - RB Kwonshon Moreno

38 - CIN - C Eric Wood
39 - JAX - RB Chris Wells
40 - OAK - S Sean Smith

41 - GB - Phil Loadholt

For the fourth time in the day, the Bills are on the clock. Alex Mack is on the board and Buffalo still needs an interior lineman. With Hang penciled in at center and the semi-fragile Butler locked in at one guard spot, the thought of having Mack on the roster is certainly appealing. Giving up 75 in the Detroit trade makes this a painful decision as Buffalo won't be able to get a TE before the end of the third. Nevertheless:

42 - BUF - Alex Mack

At the end of an eventful first day, the Bills have LB Clay Matthews, DE Robert Ayers, OT William Beatty, C/G Alex Mack, 96, 110, 147, 183 and 220.

The next day begins with a couple of minor trades between teams but not anywhere near enough action to keep a guy like Dan Snyder engaged. A joke is made about taking Derrick Dockery's younger brother Cedric, but an icy stare from Jauron kills that conversation. Christmas cards will not be exchanged. The Bills cool their heels until the last non-compensatory pick in the 3rd.

3-96: Cornelius Ingram, TE, Florida. OBD reaches back to the Willis McGahee days and plucks a player off the board with a significant injury history. At least we won’t have to see how his knee can swing in both directions during slow motion college highlights every Sunday. The Bills possibly have quite the steal with this pick.

4-110: Jason Watkins, OT, Florida. Buffalo goes Butler-hunting and takes Ingram's less gimpy teammate. He's no threat to Beatty, Chambers or Bell so if none of them prove to be capable of manning the LT position Trent Edwards is in for a Hobbes type year: brutal, nasty and short.

5-147: Courtney Greene, SS, Rutgers. Watching Kiper and McShay rip each other new orifices helps the time pass quickly. The Bills would have preferred not to have put this position off for quite so long. However, the combination of holes on the roster and players available when Buffalo was making selections conspired against taking a safety earlier.

6-183: Brannan Southerland, FB, Georgia. I think we’d all be happier with Quinn Johnson and if he’s on the board he should be the pick. However, I think there’s a pretty good chance that he’ll be taken with one of those compensatory picks at the end of the 5th round. There’s a good chance Southerland would be available in the seventh, but if he’s a guy Buffalo wants, why chance it? The re-signing of the ineffective McIntyre suggests Buffalo isn't done with FB after all.

7-220: Lendy Holmes, S, Oklahoma. Brian’s story about the entire safety corps becoming free agents inside of two years convinced me. Well, that and the fact that Buffalo hasn’t gotten terrific play from the guys on the roster.

So there it is, sports fans and people with nothing better to do than read this. I tried to err on the conservative side of things in terms of types of trades and trade value that Buffalo might receive. I also selected players who should be on the board when Buffalo picks.

LB Clay Matthews, DE Robert Ayers, OT William Beatty, C/G Alex Mack, TE Cornelius Ingram, OT Jason Watkins, SS Courtney Green, FB Brannan Southerland and FS Lendy Holmes… that sounds quite a bit better than the no trades version. At the very least, Ellison is riding the pine and six of the nine picks figure to see playing time beyond special teams. Rip away!

SS, Kevin Ellison, USC

Jeremy Bolander — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:40:47 -0000

SS, Kevin Ellison, USC

At A Glance
Position 1: Strong Safety	Height: 6-1
Position 2: Outside Linebacker	Weight: 227
Class: Senior	Age:
Projected Round: 6th	40time: 4.80

Combine/Proday Results
Bench Reps: X	Vertical: 32
20yd Split: 2.81	Broad Jump: X
10yd Split: 1.59	20yd Shuttle: X
3 Cone Drill: X

Pros: Chiseled athlete who certainly looks the part. ... Steady, dependable player who graduated a semester early from high school to enroll at Southern Cal. ... Signed with USC as a running back and was so physical and instinctive that the staff considered him at linebacker before moving him to strong safety.

Cons: Lacks the preferred straight-line speed for the position. ... Not the same player in coverage that he is in run support or as a hitter over the middle. ... Too often plays the man and not the ball.

Styg's Broncos Fit: High-character player with injury issues but consistent production and steady growth. Exceptionally physical and can intimidate players over the middle, and is a sure-handed tackler who is impressive in run support. No straight speed to speak of, but adequate quickness. Has a safety's attitude and is willing to sacrifice himself to make the stop. Doesn't allow many big plays to get past him, part of playing for a defense good enough to recover and get 3-and-outs. May be undervalued because of the players he was around. Could possibly move to LB.

Around MHR:

Around SBNation:

From Conquest Chronicles:

This one is kind of tough because just about every major SC draft prospect has been talked about ad nauseum, so let's look at a less hyped player that has kind of fallen off the radar thanks to late season injuries: Kevin Ellison. Taylor Mays may get all the hype, but many fans and close followers of the team think Ellison is just as good of a player. Although he doesn't have a single stat that really jumps out and wows you, he boasts a very solid body of work with decent numbers in INTs, tackles for loss, and pass breakups. In addition his size (6'1", 220 lbs) and speed will give him an edge in the transition to the NFL.

From "2009 Safeties" at Mocking the Draft:

Utilized mostly to help against the run in college, Ellison is a physical safety who is an asset at the line of scrimmage. In coverage, he struggles due to a lack of speed.

From Field Gulls:

A 4.88 40-yard dash will not help his cause.

Ouch. Quite a few defensive ends ran significantly quicker than that. Hell, 288 pound freak-of-nature Jarron Gilbert beat that by a hundredth of a second.

Highlights:

Scouting Reports and Offsite Links:

Has the build of a linebacker and plays with a mean streak over the middle of the field. Loves to attack downhill and is a force vs. the run game. Displays good footwork and short-area quickness for his size. Possess good instincts and awareness deep, seldomly gets beat over the top down the field. Takes great angles in the pass game and consistently dislodges ball from man on contact. An old-school, intimidating force at the second level. [see more...]
Steady, no-nonsense strong safety ended his career with 34 starts and earning first-team All-Pac-10 honors after each of the past two seasons. An instinctive defender, Ellison has morphed into a coach on the field for the Trojans. While every other member of the USC defensive backfield is superior as an all-around athlete, Ellison, who was lightly recruited out of high school, makes up for a lack of eye-popping measureables with intelligence, physicality and a penchant for making the big play. Of concern to scouts, is whether Ellison has the straight-line speed to handle the transition to the NFL, especially considering the three knee operations he's undergone while at USC. [see more...]
Ellison is an incredibly physical safety prospect for the Southern California Trojans. He is known for his crushing hits on opposing receivers, but he is also a veracious hitter and does great in run support. A great NFL comparison would be Roy Williams of the Dallas Cowboys. He has below average speed for his position, but makes up for the deficiency in run support. He will struggle when matched up in man to man coverage with receivers and faster tight ends in the NFL. [see more...]

Final thoughts on the win over Oregon

Paragon SC — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:00:06 -0000

The frustration that the defense felt after the Oregon St. game had to be tremendous. Yes the D line got pushed around and there was some lack luster play due to just mailing it in but SC still had issues trying to stop Rogers. When you cant see them coming its going to be tough to stop them but last night they saw what Oregon was going to do and after the Ducks scored their only TD the defense adjusted and they locked them down. Of course everything has to be in sync, so while it wasn’t a pretty performance in the early going SC figured it out and made it work. The adjustment was one that SC used against OSU but this time with D line standing its ground and getting penetration it worked and Oregon’s two running backs who thought that they were going to get 100 yards each didn’t do much at all.

The USC defense held Oregon, the top rushing team in the Pacific-10 Conference, to a meek 60 yards on the ground.

Or about 250 yards below the Ducks' average coming into the game.

The reason for those numbers was because of safety Kevin Ellison. His coming up and being the eighth man in the box went a long way to stiffing Oregon's running attack.

Ellison's presence as the "eighth man in the box" – the football term for the safety who joins the defensive linemen and linebackers for run-stopping duty – had a lot to do with USC shutting down Oregon's prolific ground attack Saturday night in a much-needed, 44-10, bounce-back victory.

Ellison was involved in a team-high 12 tackles – all in the first half, when the tenor was established and the game was decided. And no, it wasn't a case of Ellison cleaning up the mess left by others. He repeatedly crept up near the line of scrimmage to help absorb the blows from Oregon's 1-2 punch of Jeremiah Johnson and LeGarrette Blount.

The two entered Saturday night's game averaging a combined 184.2 rushing yards per game.

They had just 35 in the first half, which ended with USC leading, 27-10.

When the advantage grew to 37-10 late in the third quarter, the Ducks had to abandon the run and play a game they didn't want to play.

The first half played out right in Ellison's comfort zone.

There were a lot of passes that should have been picked off last night once Oregon was forced into passing situations but none of it could have happened had the defense not put forth a superior effort when compared to the debacle in Corvallis.

The defense, once they settled in put up a pretty good performance and the "new look" that we saw due to injuries or previous poor performances didn't affect us for the worse. Good or bad, it was different not seeing Rey Rey in the game because of his injured knee. It was odd, but it also gave some of our depth a chance to step up and show what they can do. Cushing did a great job at MLB and Michael Morgan, before leaving the game with a concussion, played solid in his first start.

A team simply can't turn on a switch and say they going to get motivated they have to come into a game with a certain mind set. A team also can't get angry to the point of letting their anger get the best of them and negatively affect their play on the field, they have to sometimes just get back basics.

When they are at their best, the Trojans are all about balance on offense, but quarterback Mark Sanchez and his receivers will have to sync up better than they did in Corvallis to punish the Ducks.

If the Trojans do take out their frustrations on the Ducks, they may make a resonating statement to pollsters that it's premature to count the House of Troy out of the national title race just yet. Not that Carroll is interested in talking about rankings or big picture stuff like that.

Exactly, the outside noise is for us fans and the media, SC just needed to settle in and find its game. Some people seem to miss that, it isn't always pretty. As long as SC is working through their issues and getting positve results I can live with an average game in terms of performance especially after last week.

Look at Alabama, after smoking UGA they looked aboslutely pedestrian against Kentucky. Yes, UK was undefeated but with what I saw Alabama do to Clemson and UGA in the first half they are clearly ahead of schedule but they are not immune from average play. Heck, they looked pretty pedestrian in the second half of the UGA game.

I would love to see solid wins every game but the fact is it doesn't always happen and sometimes you have a lot of stinkers but still get the win. Some days style points work other days they don't.

One thing that stood out was USC's confidence on that 4th and 2 play where Williams scored his TD.

Saturday's fourth-and-two in USC's 44-10 win over Oregon could never, in terms of historic significance, match the other fourth-and-two.

The difference, though, was that this one worked for USC, and it was the key play in one of the more important bounce-back games Pete Carroll has faced in seven-plus seasons as the Trojans' coach.

USC was down, 10-3, in the second quarter, a week and two days removed from being down 21-0 in an ultimate Thursday night defeat at Oregon State.

The Trojans had to beat Oregon to avoid losing consecutive games for the first time since a Washington-Stanford combo early in 2001 -- Carroll's first season.

But things weren't going well. A roughing the holder penalty on USC allowed Oregon to take a field goal off the scoreboard and trade it for a touchdown.

USC had first-and-goal from the six and had to settle for a field goal.

Then, down by a touchdown, USC faced fourth down at the Ducks' 34.

You knew Carroll was going for it -- he usually does.

Instead of a run, though, the coaching staff went for the kill.

Mark Sanchez found Damian Williams, wide open, streaking down the left crease and hit him on his No. 18 on the way to an easy touchdown.

"Beautiful call," Carroll said of Steve Sarkisian, his offensive coordinator. "But it wasn't one you make to make the first down."

I like the swagger of that play, it showed a lot of confidence that was missing last week.

You saw a little bit of it when Mustain came in as well. I wasn't happy with the INT he threw but I liked the play that was called as showed some aggressiveness on Sarkisian's part to try and get Mustain's confidence up. I actually thought it was a pretty good play by the defender more than it being a poor decision on Mustain's part. It wasn't his best performance there but he made up for it later on the TD to Ausberry. Speaking of Ausberry, he is absolutely huge! I would love to see him get some more touches. It was also nice to See Travon Patterson get into the game.

Let me briefly address the last TD that Mustain threw to Ausberry. I know Mike Bellotti was not happy about it and I can understand if it was the first team in there running up the score but this was the second and third stringers, at home, getting their chance to make some plays and show the staff what they've got. The game was well out of hand and the spread was covered so what's the difference. If it was on the road up at Autzen I could probably see his frustration.

so there are still some issues and kinks to work out but this had to be a big boost to SC's confidence. next week its ASU who is coming off a bad loss to Cal. I still think the Pac-10 is up for grabs...