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2014 NFL Draft chatter/rumors/news

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I often have draft news items that don't merit a new thread, don't fit in current threads, but are worthy of mention. Later round prospect news, draft rumors, team news, etc.

Since the Combine is now completed, I thought we needed a catchall 2014 Draft news thread.


2014 pro days schedule by date

[URL="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000326264/article/2014-pro-days-schedule"]2014 pro days schedule alphabetical by school[/URL]
Between the NFL Scouting Combine and the 2014 NFL Draft, NFL coaches and scouts -- not to mention the prospects themselves -- turn their attention to the various college pro day workouts. These are not as all-encompassing as the combine, but they are important enough for the key decision-makers in the league to travel around the country for more than a month to watch the talent up close and in person. Be sure to check back for updates to the schedule as well as pro day reports.
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[IMGwidthsize=100]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-adzDVfUcZRQ/UZrjNxgeQFI/AAAAAAAAByA/i2us8VgJRL0/s1600/Draft+2014.jpg[/IMG]
 
Playoffs said:
I often have draft news items that don't merit a new thread, don't fit in current threads, but are worthy of mention. Later round prospect news, draft rumors, team news, etc.

Since the Combine is now completed, I thought we needed a catchall 2014 Draft news thread.


2014 pro days schedule by date

[URL="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000326264/article/2014-pro-days-schedule"]2014 pro days schedule alphabetical by school[/URL


[IMGwidthsize=100]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-adzDVfUcZRQ/UZrjNxgeQFI/AAAAAAAAByA/i2us8VgJRL0/s1600/Draft+2014.jpg[/IMG]
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MSR

Thanks for everything
 
Family drives Scott Crichton’s will to succeed in the NFL
...but because his decision to declare for the draft after his junior year was more emotional and complex than most. Yes, Crichton is doing it for the money. But when he sat down at a table at the combine media room last Sunday to speak with a small group of mostly Seattle-based reporters, the underrated Tacoma, Wash., native laid out exactly why it was time for him to head to the next level. Simply put, his family desperately needs him to.

“I love my family. I’ve taken this responsibility to take care of them. My mom works two jobs, and my dad is disabled and still works a job, too. They are getting old and I want them to retire and just stop working. I just did this for my family. I was going to come back to college but just to see my family struggle - we didn’t have much growing up and to see my family struggle, I wasn’t OK with that. So I had to do something, and this is one of the greatest opportunities for me to take care of my family.”

Crichton’s parents are both from Western Samoa. His father Lucky (his given name) lost a leg a while back due to health reasons, and it was impossible for Crichton to recall his dad’s struggle since without profound emotion. It was easy - and moving - to see.

“He works at a warehouse right now, which is barely getting by like $10 an hour, and he [had taken] care of my grandpa. My grandpa is 90-something and he just passed. It was just unfortunate, and this was all happening at once.”

So, Crichton didn’t bother getting a grade from the advisory board - he decided to take his 22.5 sacks and 51 tackles for loss over three seasons to the NFL, and see what it would get him.
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...
“What is the key to getting penetration inside a tackle? Like a 4-tech or a 3-tech? You’ve just got to get off the ball and attack, attack the opposing player and you’ve got to just play on their side of the ball. Coaches always told me, whatever you do, no matter if you are wrong, you’ve got to play on their side of the ball..."
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[IMGwidthsize=50]http://img1.jurko.net/avatar_17814.gif[/IMG]
 
Honoring Earl 34 said:
http://blogs.ourlads.com/2014/02/28/defensive-thoughts-post-combine/
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Great stuff, repped.

I am going to have a good amount of DTs graded in my top 100 overall. I think it is a good year for the position... There are a lot of BIG defensive tackles in this class. Guys with NFL-ready bodies from a thickness/strength perspective.... :doot:

A couple names I’ve been high on since September are DaQuan Jones (Penn State) and Caraun Reid (Princeton). Jones... is a comfortable 320+ pounds with the easiest knee bend you’ll find and some sneaky quickness in tight spaces... he can stay low and play with strong hands. Reid is a tough guy to block... is a low mover with explosive steps, incredibly strong base.
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Back in the fall I said this DE class was very weak after Clowney and I still believe it...
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If I were Scouting an NFL QB...
...I don't doubt that many teams are consistent with the first two points, but I have serious reservations about the last two. Jamarcus Russell? I remember telling a whole slew of people he'd never make it (Mike, Ryan, and Derek - remember?). How did I know? Because I saw tape of him as a high school senior and he waited for receivers to be out of their breaks before throwing, and that had not changed at LSU. Nobody knows for sure - just as Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) pointed out in "Moneyball" - there is no crystal ball. There is no way of assuring how a player will project from college to the NFL, but I think some things can be done more efficiently, especially from the workout and scouting standpoint.

To me, the way a player's talent will translate has to do more with his surrounding players relative to the opposition rather than if he took all his snaps from shotgun. Shotgun as opposed to under center doesn't matter as much other things, yet people seem to waste a lot of breath on the subject. Why? Every team has a QB coach that's a millionaire - he can teach drops. It's about processing large volumes of information and having enough of a skill set athletically to get the ball to someone open ( who should be graded on speed and explosiveness) -- all while have the courage to ignore the pass rush and the mental toughness to ignore talk radio...
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Honoring Earl 34 said:
Can anyone think of a good use for Aaron Donald at #1?
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I think Crennel prefers the big uglies.


Earholed!: http://youtu.be/pkhEfZB8YcI?t=3m16s

[IMGwidthsize=50]http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/rugby/football-running-smiley-emoticon.gif[/IMG]
 
steelbtexan said:
If the Texans go QB at 1-1 this guy would be my pick at 2-33. Doubtful he will be there though. New Orleans will run the pick to the podium.

My ideal draft would be

1.Robinson
2. Crichton
3.Garappolo/Murray/Mettenberger
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I had Cricton as a possibility at 2-1 along with ASJ. However Crichton at 273 lbs I'm not sure he fits the Crennel historical MO for a DE.
 
Honoring Earl 34 said:
Can anyone think of a good use for Aaron Donald at #1?
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Not in Crennel's defense. The guy is a beast, but he can struggle with double teams and he's way more of a gap shooter than plugger. He would be totally miscast in our defense.

He really reminds me of Geno Atkins. I think he's purely a 3'technique, but a very very good one at that.
 
WolverineFan said:
Not in Crennel's defense. The guy is a beast, but he can struggle with double teams and he's way more of a gap shooter than plugger. He would be totally miscast in our defense.

He really reminds me of Geno Atkins. I think he's purely a 3'technique, but a very very good one at that.
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i have a similar thinking towards Ealy. would love him have a top 10 grade on him but does he fit Roc's system?? im inclined to think not.
 
kiwitexansfan said:
Are we sure Playoffs isn't just some computer algorithm collecting Texans related news?
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bah007 said:
Perhaps the human manifestation of google? :shrug:
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NCTexan said:
I'm with Kiwi on this one. It's a bot.

<3 Playoffs
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I'm thinking...

images


...From the future...

and he's got these links from what are history books for him
:kitten:

but hell, whatever. Keep up the good work!
:texans:
 
Honoring Earl 34 said:
Can anyone think of a good use for Aaron Donald at #1?
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kiwitexansfan said:
I would consider him at DE. He has strength to hold up and speed to make him pay.
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^^^^
This!

From what I've read, RAC likes his DE's to hold the point of attack, throw off the blocker and make the play.
Someone tell me why Donald could not do these things and fit this defense. Especially in a rotation-type scheme where you want to keep your D-linemen fresh.
 
ObsiWan said:
^^^^
This!

From what I've read, RAC likes his DE's to hold the point of attack, throw off the blocker and make the play.
Someone tell me why Donald could not do these things and fit this defense. Especially in a rotation-type scheme where you want to keep your D-linemen fresh.
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Because throughout his entire college career he was using his strength and speed to beat blocks, not hold them. I've watched a ton of tape on him. He's undersized and, as strong as he is for his size, I've seen him get pushed around when he's not shooting gaps. He is not a "hold the point of attack" type of player. He's a "penetrate and attack" type of player.
 
WolverineFan said:
Because throughout his entire college career he was using his strength and speed to beat blocks, not hold them. I've watched a ton of tape on him. He's undersized and, as strong as he is for his size, I've seen him get pushed around when he's not shooting gaps. He is not a "hold the point of attack" type of player. He's a "penetrate and attack" type of player.
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Which is why ( as crazy as it sounds) he would be a great fit IMO. His athleticism and size make him a fit all over the place. He could play the elephant or DE in passing situations and ILB on running plays. His versatility makes him more valuable. People need to stop thinking of him as just an undersized DL. He could be so much more.
 
mussop said:
Which is why ( as crazy as it sounds) he would be a great fit IMO. His athleticism and size make him a fit all over the place. He could play the elephant or DE in passing situations and ILB on running plays. His versatility makes him more valuable. People need to stop thinking of him as just an undersized DL. He could be so much more.
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This is an insane projection based on what he has shown on tape. Could it possibly happen? Yes, possibly. But nothing on his film suggests that. It would be a total shot in the dark.

I really don't understand why people always want to draft these talented players and ask them to do things they haven't done before. Blows my mind.

What is he good at? Using his hands and quickness to shoot gaps and rush the passer from the interior.

What is he bad at? Holding his ground in a gap against a double team.

Seems pretty simple to me what he should be doing. Draft him to do what he's already good at. If it ends up he is good at other things too that's a bonus. But you can't make that part of your analysis when grading him because it's a total guess.
 
aussie_texan said:
i have a similar thinking towards Ealy. would love him have a top 10 grade on him but does he fit Roc's system?? im inclined to think not.
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This is another guy people want to pigeon hole onto the DL. Do you not think he is athletic enough to playOLB?
 
mussop said:
Which is why ( as crazy as it sounds) he would be a great fit IMO. His athleticism and size make him a fit all over the place. He could play the elephant or DE in passing situations and ILB on running plays. His versatility makes him more valuable. People need to stop thinking of him as just an undersized DL. He could be so much more.
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Donald is a GREAT fit for Wade Phillips one gap penetrating attack the football D but not so much for Romeo Crennel's gap control hold your ground D.
 
mussop said:
Which is why ( as crazy as it sounds) he would be a great fit IMO. His athleticism and size make him a fit all over the place. He could play the elephant or DE in passing situations and ILB on running plays. His versatility makes him more valuable. People need to stop thinking of him as just an undersized DL. He could be so much more.
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No, it doesn't. His size and skill set restrict him from being an every down player in RC's base scheme. He would purely be a sub package or pass rush situation guy. Is that what you want to do with your 2nd round pick?

It's not versatility when you are pigeon holed into playing him at certain positions on certain downs or in specific situations because he is not a fit for what you do on base downs.
 
steelbtexan said:
I see Crichton as being a very good version of Hali in RC's defense.
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Crichton is about 30 lbs light to play in Romeo's past Ds. The history of Romeo's DE's have usually been of the 300 lb variety. This is why I eliminated many some very good 260-270 lb DE in the early rounds of my mock draft.

WolverineFan said:
Hmm, we actually agree on something....:highfive:
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Unfortunately, I would have loved to see Donald lined up opposite JJ Watt in Wade's D. I believe the two would have wreaked havoc. I think that Donald is the most like Watt of all DL in this draft.
 
Texian said:
Donald is a GREAT fit for Wade Phillips one gap penetrating attack the football D but not so much for Romeo Crennel's gap control hold your ground D.
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As a DE yes. That's not what I said.

Docs defense

His style is termed the “two-gap 3-4&#8243; defense. At its base, that means you have three lineman with their hands in the dirt, typically two defensive ends that are big and strong enough to take on offensive tackles and tall enough to deter passes by the quarterback in the pocket (think of Tyson Jackson’s prototypical 6’4&#8243;, 296 lbs frame), and a humongous, bulky nose tackle that is built for getting low, absorbing punishment and administering immediate push against a hopelessly outsized center (think of Jerrell Powe’s prototypical 6’2&#8243;, 331 lbs frame). Then you have four linebackers: two passrushers on the edge (one who is a more one-dimensional pocket assaulter, and the other who is a swiss army knife of abilities), and two in the middle (one who is more of a line of scrimmage attacker, and the other who is more coverage-oriented). This earns Crennel’s defense the “3-4&#8243; moniker, for those who didn’t already know.


Do you guys not think he is athletic enough for the bolded?
 
Texian said:
Crichton is about 30 lbs light to play in Romeo's past Ds. The history of Romeo's DE's have usually been of the 300 lb variety. This is why I eliminated many some very good 260-270 lb DE in the early rounds of my mock draft.
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I think he was talking about Crichton at OLB, not DE.

Texian said:
Unfortunately, I would have loved to see Donald lined up opposite JJ Watt in Wade's D. I believe the two would have wreaked havoc. I think that Donald is the most like Watt of all DL in this draft.
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In our mock draft a while back, beerlover and I mocked Donald to the Texans under the premise that they would still be running Wade's defense. This was before Crennel was hired. The idea was that Antonio Smith would walk and Donald would take his place. When RC was hired, we immediately changed the pick. It's just not a fit.
 
WolverineFan said:
I think he was talking about Crichton at OLB, not DE.



In our mock draft a while back, beerlover and I mocked Donald to the Texans under the premise that they would still be running Wade's defense. This was before Crennel was hired. The idea was that Antonio Smith would walk and Donald would take his place. When RC was hired, we immediately changed the pick. It's just not a fit.
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Apparently I don't see the 273 lb Crichton who runs a 4.84 40 as a OLB. I guess he could but he has always played with his hand in the dirt.

I too, had Donald at 2-1 in an early draft of mine. That is now void because Donald goes in Top 15 IMO and w/ addition of Crennel, Donald does not fit that defense.

I expect Crennel's D to better against the run but not as good vs the pass. And I have some real concern about how JJ Watt is going to transition to Crennel's D. Does JJ go back to a similar production of his days at Wisconsin????
 
Texian said:
I expect Crennel's D to better against the run but not as good vs the pass. And I have some real concern about how JJ Watt is going to transition to Crennel's D. Does JJ go back to a similar production of his days at Wisconsin????
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They will need a solid NT to hold up to the run and another ILB. I don't see how our personnel fits RC's style. I also have a problem with asking your best pass rusher to two-gap. That doesn't seem like a good idea. I realize they will play out of base and they will sub-package, but in your base defense you are asking your biggest playmaker to take double teams. I don't like it.
 
Khalil Mack, Mike Evans lead most important pro days of week
By Gil Brandt
Pro day will be in full swing this week, and as several players go through their workouts and have their results posted, you might notice something a little strange in the numbers.

Many of the 40 times posted on pro days might be slower or faster than the times you saw at Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine. It's important to understand why.

In 1970, the Dallas Cowboys gave a $25,000 grant to Penn State Unviersity to do a comprehensive study on 40-yard dash times related to surface as well as the shoes used for running these sprints. The results were interesting and showed that, sure enough, running on grass resulted in slower times than running on turf, like the kind they had at Lucas Oil Stadium, the site of the combine -- on average, the times on grass were about .12 seconds slower than on turf.

So for example, if a player runs on grass and posts a 40 time of 4.65, he's going to run about a 4.53 on turf. Teams take this into account when they track 40 times that are run on different surfaces, and like to convert the times to a uniform surface when they sort the numbers.

The Penn State study also found that there is a slight difference in times when players run in cleated football shoes, which are traditionally used on grass, and spiked shoes. Runners who used spiked shoes ran about .03 seconds faster. That means that a guy who runs a 4.65 40 on grass and in football shoes would have a time of about 4.50 on turf and in spikes.

Keep this in mind as you're looking through the 40 times from pro day, and don't be surprised if there's a difference in the numbers from Indianapolis.

Here's a quick rundown of this week's pro-day workouts, and the one or two things I'll be most interested in for each one:...
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Teddy Bridgewater, Michael Sam facing make-or-break pro days
The 2014 NFL Scouting Combine is in the books, but several prospects still have plenty of questions to answer heading into their pro day workouts. After checking in with several scouts and coaches over the past few days, I've come up with 10 burning questions that must be answered in workouts over the coming months:

1) Is Teddy Bridgewater a legitimate franchise quarterback?
...
2) Can Johnny Manziel excel as a pocket passer?
...
3) Can Blake Bortles develop into an elite NFL quarterback?
...
4) Is Jadeveon Clowney worthy of the No. 1 overall pick?
...
5) Can Cyrus Kouandjio bounce back from a poor combine?
...
6) What is Ryan Shazier's best position as a pro?
...
7) Can De'Anthony Thomas make an impact as a specialty player?
...
8) Does Ka'Deem Carey have enough explosiveness to be a feature back?
...
9) Is Jarvis Landry fast enough to be a No. 1 receiver?
...
10) Will Michael Sam show enough athleticism to merit a draftable grade?
...
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O'Brien at Pitt watching QB Tom Savage

Tony Pauline &#8207;@TonyPauline · 25m
Houston Texas coach Bill O'Brien at Pittsburgh pro-day for QB Tom Savage...requested Savage throw specific routes at the end of workout
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...
 
Alex Marvez &#8207;@alexmarvez
Even so, Savage was happy with his Pro Day performance. Met with HCs Chip Kelly & Bill O'Brien after his workout.

.@GoPittFootball QB Tom Savage only had 1 WR (Devin Street) for Pro Day. One WR couldn't go because of bad wrist; No other options available
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HOU-TEX said:
O'Brien at Pitt watching QB Tom Savage
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Kevin Weidl &#8207;@KevinW_ESPN
Heard Donald sat on his combine #'s at Pitt's pro day. No surprise. Savage threw well. Impressive arm strength/accuracy, in cold conditions.
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Gil Brandt highlighted Savage's arm at the Combine.

2014 Pro Days: Pittsburgh DT Donald continues climb
Bill O'Brien of the Houston Texans made Pitt his first pro day stop as an NFL head coach. Four quarterbacks coaches and Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly were also in attendance according to Pitt's Sports Information Department.
...
Quarterback Tom Savage, who could be a late-round riser, went through a scripted workout of 100 passes. Savage (6-4, 228), has the arm strength to be at least a quality backup.

A two-time transfer, Savage said he patiently explains to scouts that his travels should not be a red flag. But his limited experience against FBS defenses do complicate Savage's evaluation. Savage, who also attended Rutgers and Arizona, said it doesn't have to be a negative.

"I've been in three different systems, probably four or five different offensive coordinators. I don't even know anymore I've been to so many schools," Savage said. "You kind of have to pick it up on the run. You have to learn on your own. At Pittsburgh, I had to walk on and earn my spot. I had to pick up the offense and learn it by myself. Being ineligible you can't offer to much to the team. You really have to grind in the film room and pick it up on your own, kind of like the NFL will be. There will be veterans that know the playbook. They're not going to slow down for some rookie."
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mussop said:
Please explain what skill set you are talking about?
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Donald is an insanely explosive gap penetrator off the snap. He excels in one-on-one situations because he's quicker than the guy across from him and strong enough to disengage. He gets upfield fast and makes plays. You're talking about taking him out of those kind of situations (that he excels in) and putting him in situations where he has no experience. Playing OLB? Playing ILB? The biggest flaw in his game is his weakness against double teams and he's going to be a 3-4 DE? Running a fast 40 or doing a bunch of bench reps doesn't suddenly make him capable of playing certain positions.

You don't take a guy with an explosive first step and inside penetrating ability and move him off the ball or to the edge. You like the guy and want him on the Texans. No issue with that, I love the guy. But he doesn't fit with the presumed defense RC is going to run. You're trying to square peg him into the system because you like him. This is the same kind of thing that ruined Glenn Dorsey's career.

You can find ways to implement a guy like him into your scheme, but not at the cost of a 1st-2nd round pick. Do you really want to use a high pick on a sub-package and situation specific player or do you want to use it on an every down starter?
 
Texian said:
Crichton is about 30 lbs light to play in Romeo's past Ds. The history of Romeo's DE's have usually been of the 300 lb variety. This is why I eliminated many some very good 260-270 lb DE in the early rounds of my mock draft.



Unfortunately, I would have loved to see Donald lined up opposite JJ Watt in Wade's D. I believe the two would have wreaked havoc. I think that Donald is the most like Watt of all DL in this draft.
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I see Crichton playing an identical role as Hali/McGinest.

Donalad could become another Watt. I believe he has that kind of ability. Luckily he want be there at 2-1. He's a bad fit for RC's defense.
 
thunderkyss said:
How would you compare Kony Ealy to Tamba Hali?
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mussop said:
This is another guy people want to pigeon hole onto the DL. Do you not think he is athletic enough to playOLB?
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This is interesting i have always looked at him as a DE or if he put on 10lbs a 34DE never as an OLB.

Im certainly not trying to pigeon hole him.
He has the athleticism and I have seen him drop back a couple of times throughout his college career so it shouldn't be a massive problem for him to move to OLB.

I never thought of the player in this regard but i like the idea, will definitely look into it more
 
Texian said:
Elephant - Yeah, I guess he could. I hadn't given it much thought until now. I guess that is because Mercilus and Reed are starters on the depth chart.
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Donald at OLB is interesting, he had a 1.59 10, that's impressive for 304. If he dropped to the 270 range he'd be crazy explosive
 
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