Joe Thomas and Ryan Clady

by Doc Bear on Jun 20, 2008 1:43 PM MDT

There's a decent article right now on Ryan Clady by Jim Armstrong of the Post. He made several good points, and it's worth a read (find it here). One point is that until Clady has played for a while in the league it's too early to be talking Pro Bowl for him. Still, I have a lot of respect for John Lynch, who said,

"I know we haven't put pads on, but he looks like a guy who could go to 10 Pro Bowls. He's got very good feet. That jumps out at you right away. And he's strong. I know from personal experience that, once he gets his hands on you, he's a strong guy."

That's high praise. And Montrae Holland added,

"I think the Broncos have a lot of good years ahead of them with him in there. He's 300-and-some pounds and he's moving like a guy 280 or 275. You get a kid like that who can learn to pick up the offense, you've got yourself a winner."

How do his tools compare to one of the best? An ESPN article on Joe Thomas created an interesting thought - Joe Thomas is one of, if not the premier, LT(s) in the league. The ESPN article praising him, and rightfully so, mentioned several key traits. The article can be found here. It's with ESPN Insider, and you might need to sign up to get the full read. Here's a sample:

"He is the prototype for the position and is a superior prospect in comparison with this year's first overall selection and fellow Big Ten alumnus Jake Long (Miami Dolphins). Thomas has tremendous height, long arms, the frame to continue to add weight and massive hands to control his opponent upon contact.

…While there are plenty of players out there with great size, what separates Thomas from the pack is his quickness, light feet and ever-improving technique. Like most of the great ones, he almost always appears to be in balance and rarely looks awkward. Mix all of those outstanding attributes with great competitiveness and tremendous work ethic and you have a player every team longs for in their backside protector. "

Now let's look at Clady. We have height (check), size (check), long arms (check), big hands, quickness, great feet, and 'rarely looks awkward' (4 more checks). All of this is right out of Clady's draft notes and early camp reports. Endurance is something we will have to see, the ability to continue to raise his technique to the NFL level is in the future and none of this is meant to fail to praise Thomas, who is at the top of the league.

A block of marble is not yet a sculpture and Clady is still unformed at the NFL level. But you always want to see the necessary tools for success in your players, and when you break it down, Clady compares well to what ESPN had to say about Thomas. It’s food for thought.

Note - I'm including a link to a nice pre-draft article (find it here) from the Ravens' media organization. Enjoy!

This is a Fan-Created Comment on MileHighReport.com. The opinion here is not necessarily shared by the editorial staff of MHR

Tweet Comment 26 comments | 3 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

All good reads

I think Clady will be a good one.The only knock I have heard about him is that he can get apathetic at times and needs to be motivated to produce, especially in the weight room. Hopefully Shanny and co. can light a fire under him and help him to many Pro Bowls in the future.

Why do I live in Kansas City?

by papigrande on Jun 20, 2008 2:06 PM MDT reply actions

I was so down on Clady before the draft, but my opinion of him

has changed drastically in the weeks following the draft. I get happier about this draft pick more and more each day.

If God is not a Bronco fan, then WHY are sunsets Blue and Orange? - Jon Tollerud 5/22/08
The Quest ~ TSG 5/19/08

by Tim Lynch on Jun 20, 2008 2:19 PM MDT reply actions

Sweet Feet and Sugar Jay...

Sounds like a band or maybe a boxing match. Anyway you look at it though – I hope the “sweetness” from both of them last form many many years.

by YellowStoneBronco on Jun 20, 2008 2:45 PM MDT reply actions 1 recs

sweetness would be a marked change from....

the sour hits and blocking jay suffered through.

fader nation is a conquered nation

by mdierk on Jun 20, 2008 4:06 PM MDT up reply actions

YellowStoneBronco

Thanks for the comment and the lol!

There aren't any algorithms for character or courage. There aren't any for stupidity, either.

by Doc Bear on Jun 20, 2008 3:59 PM MDT reply actions

YellowStoneBronco

Thanks for the post and the lol!

There aren't any algorithms for character or courage. There aren't any for stupidity, either.

by Doc Bear on Jun 20, 2008 3:59 PM MDT reply actions

Does it bother anybody

That he scored a 12 on the wonderlic? I know you on’t have to be a genius to play tackle, but a 12 would indicate some form of learning disability.

Michael Fabiano really knows nothing about football outside of regression analysis and stat extrapolation. If it doesn’t have to do with fantasy football, his opinion is worthless.

by kwool79 on Jun 20, 2008 5:05 PM MDT reply actions

I consider myself incredibly intelligent, well not incredibly but somewhat intelligent...

but when I am being interviewed, whether it be for a job or just talking to a group fo strangers, I lose my ability to speak well(stuttering and bumbling and sweating). I think its a problem a person might develop in a less than satisfying home environment as a child. I suffered through a lot of crap growing up and having the ability to speak confidently to strangers is a complete weakness for me now. I am also not a pussy so I don’t go get any help with my so-called problems and I just do my best(worst) and then hope for the best. Who is to say that he doesn’t have similar issues speaking with confidence to a group of strangers…I couldn’t imagine how much pressure I’d feel taking a wonderlic, especially with millions of dollars at stake!

I wonder, what is the average wonderlic score of a hall of famer when he entered the NFL.

If God is not a Bronco fan, then WHY are sunsets Blue and Orange? - Jon Tollerud 5/22/08
The Quest ~ TSG 5/19/08

by Tim Lynch on Jun 20, 2008 5:22 PM MDT up reply actions

I'll work on researching that and make a post out of it. TBC

Michael Fabiano really knows nothing about football outside of regression analysis and stat extrapolation. If it doesn’t have to do with fantasy football, his opinion is worthless.

by kwool79 on Jun 20, 2008 5:40 PM MDT up reply actions

If you do a search on MHR...

...there is a good comments thread about the Wonderlic. I’d look for it now, but I’m heading to work.

At any rate, Clady was injured the day he took the test, and many people ascribe the low score to that. Also, most teams look at the Wonderlic as a flag to test more in depth. If Denver was concerned, they probably administered more in depth testing (which would have been confidential). I’m confident that Clady is fine.

"Greater is an army of sheep led by a lion, than an army of lions led by a sheep" Defoe

by Steve Nichols on Jun 21, 2008 3:05 AM MDT up reply actions

Inability to speak well in public settings doesn't show a lack of intelligence

Frequently a great variety of thoughts are being developed simultaneously when dealing with public speaking or talking to a group of strangers (fight or flight or cooperate). The multitude of thoughts can cause an overload on the ability to speak smoothly, the trick is to program yourself to streamline the thoughts that are essential for that situation.

Easier said than done, but I forced myself to become a better public speaker by becoming a City Planner and giving presentations in front of commissions and groups throughout every month. With my new job as a Planner for the National Guard I also have to make frequent presentations. The ease of speaking is directly related to my familiarity with the subject matter.

Zap, I am sure that if you were discussing things you were familiar with, such as Denver greatness and oakland’s quest for mediocrity, your public speaking would be fine. If all else fails, just imagine that your audience is a bunch of raider fans, the knowledge of your superiority as a Denver fan should make everything work out.

by Arctic Bronco on Jun 21, 2008 4:05 PM MDT up reply actions

Plus when

Speaking to fader fans arent there guards there? I mean you do speak to them at prisons and county lockups right?
Well that were they all are here in Sd. Jail

by broncfanstuckinsd on Jun 21, 2008 4:27 PM MDT up reply actions

kwool

Before selling cars I was in a number of high management positions. Quick-witted-know-it-alls rarely make a good employee. Clady is a quiet giant…a very different type of man. He wants to be told what to do. He then will focus on that, ‘What to do’ and take it to the next level. I am very happy with the Clady pick.

by Mike Clark on Jun 22, 2008 7:27 PM MDT up reply actions

Thomas on the other hand,

I believe scored pretty high. Clady sure looks the part though.

Michael Fabiano really knows nothing about football outside of regression analysis and stat extrapolation. If it doesn’t have to do with fantasy football, his opinion is worthless.

by kwool79 on Jun 20, 2008 5:06 PM MDT reply actions

Great idea, kwool79!

I’m going to look forward to reading that one.

There aren't any algorithms for character or courage. There aren't any for stupidity, either.

by Doc Bear on Jun 20, 2008 5:44 PM MDT reply actions

same here!

If God is not a Bronco fan, then WHY are sunsets Blue and Orange? - Jon Tollerud 5/22/08
The Quest ~ TSG 5/19/08

by Tim Lynch on Jun 20, 2008 5:47 PM MDT up reply actions

Me too

And link to your sources. I can’t ever find comprehensive Wonderlic scores…

by jonahsilas on Jun 20, 2008 6:09 PM MDT up reply actions

What we're talking about is physical tools

His foot speed, agility, etc. don’t tell us if he’ll be able to process information and make (good) decisions fast enough at game speed, only that if he can his physical skills will give him a huge upside. Since I suspect that initial quickness is relevant to the ability to function at NFL game speed, and since according to The Sporting News he ranked first at his position in that attribute (as well as first overall), I’m cautiously confident that he’s going to be really good. But I’ll feel better when we begin to get a read on him in training camp going against Doom in full-speed scrimmages with pads.

"In the empty spaces - lacunae, vacuums, pauses, voids, black holes - new things begin. We are born anew from the unexplored space, the badlands, the outlaw territory." - Sam Keen

by spock on Jun 21, 2008 12:56 PM MDT reply actions

Interesting dynamic

that you mention casually: DOOM and Clady hav an opportunity to make eachother better players for a long span of time.

So now we just need to get a read on this guy’s IPS, yes?

Mountains, forest, sea: these render man fierce, but yet do not destroy the man.

by Jeremy Bolander on Jun 21, 2008 1:42 PM MDT up reply actions

Yes indeed

I hope we see these guys honing their skills against each other for years to come.

"In the empty spaces - lacunae, vacuums, pauses, voids, black holes - new things begin. We are born anew from the unexplored space, the badlands, the outlaw territory." - Sam Keen

by spock on Jun 21, 2008 7:07 PM MDT up reply actions

Clady

I hope we have a quiet giant. Quiet giants have a way of taking care of buisness away from the glamor. We may not get many quotes from Clady over the next 10, 12, maybe 14 years, he is a quiet giant.

by Mike Clark on Jun 22, 2008 7:08 PM MDT reply actions

forgot, my one concern

Seeing pictures of Clady his torso, arms, and neck are all football. His legs however are basketball. I hope Shanny has the wisdom to see if he can perform with knee braces. If he can he should wear then his entire career. If he does we might get 15 or 16 years of amasement from this guy.

by Mike Clark on Jun 22, 2008 7:38 PM MDT reply actions

Great article on IPS by spock

Mike – by basketball, I assume that you’re talking about thinner legs? This helps make sense of something that has been puzzling me. The people who go up against him talk about him having great strength, but many scouts have mentioned his need to get stronger. I’m sure that with his rangy build that gaining muscle everywhere is in his future (and some have suggested that he may need some direction and encouragement with the weight room), but building the legs might be first concern?

Good point on braces – a man of his height in a pwer position would be smart to wear them. Thanks, Mike!

There aren't any algorithms for character or courage, but you can't coach either

by Doc Bear on Jun 22, 2008 9:01 PM MDT reply actions

Bear

His knees is my one concern. Bronco, I really think he is going to be special.

by Mike Clark on Jun 22, 2008 10:05 PM MDT reply actions

Best Pure LT Prospect in Draft

Everybody had Jake Long ahead of Clady, but there is widespread belief that he will end up being a RT before long. Reports out of Miami have him struggling with speed rushers already. Long’s best attributes are lower-body strength, and the ability to drive-block in the running game, which are classic RT traits.

Clady, on the other hand, is all LT. He has the longest arms and the quickest feet of all of this year’s draftees, and those are the 2 key attributes for for a Tackle on the left side. In my opinion, we bought low on him, because of where he went to school. He would have been drafted higher if he had gone to a football factory, and the question of quality of competition wasn’t there.

As a side note, I saw a lot of Browns football last season, and by midseason, Joe Thomas was the best-looking LT that I saw in the whole NFL. He and Eric Steinbach transformed that offense last season, and allowed the Derek Andersons and Jamal Lewis’s to have the seasons they had. A good LT accounts for more than 1/11 of a good offense, and we can only hope young Ryan Clady can have a similar effect on our offense this season.

"I wouldn't ever set out to hurt anyone deliberately unless it was, you know, important --like a league game or something." DICK BUTKUS

by Ted Bartlett on Jun 23, 2008 10:21 AM MDT reply actions